Diabetes mellitus has become a serious globál health and economic problém mainly due to the impact of its long-term complications. Microvascular complications, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy, are organ complications resulting specifically from the diabetic metabolic milieu. Moreover, diabetes causes a significant increase of the risk of major macrovascular complications (coronary artery disease, cerebro-vascular and peripheral vascular disease) which account for the majority of diabetes-related mortality. In many developed countries, diabetes constitutes the single most important cause of working-age blindness, end-stage renal disease and non-traumatic amputations. The risk resulting from the occurrence of micro- and macrovascular complications can be dramatically reduced by the systematic implementation of primary pre-ventivě measures and by screening of their incipient stages. From the onset of diabetes, optimal glycaemia, blood pressure and lipid control should be pursued assiduously. It has been shown especially in type 2 dia¬betes that a multifactorial intervention program results in very important benefits with regard to the risk of progression of vascular complications. Carefully controlled studies háve proven the effectiveness of several secondary preventivě measures (laser photocoagulation for retinopathy, renin-angiotensin systém blocker and other antihypertensive drug treatment for nephropathy, prophylactic footwear for peripheral neuropathy etc.) in the initial and more advanced stages of diabetic complications. Primary and secondary preventivě mea-sures should be widely available and systematically implemented in generál and specialized care of all pati-ents with diabetes.

        Key words: diabetes mellitus, vascular complications, prevention, diabetic nephropathy, diabetes retinopat-hy, diabetic foot syndrome