Long non-coding RNAs in diabetes and diabetic cardiomyopathy

Diabetes is a kind of metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, which is caused by defects in insulin secretion. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a cardiovascular complication of diabetes and leads to heart failure eventually. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides without protein-coding function. Here we reviewed the role of lncRNAs in the pathological processes of diabetes as well as DCM and revealed the significance of lncRNAs as therapeutic targets for diabetes and diabetes-associated complications.