Background: Around 8% of Americans acquire diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetics cause micro and macrovascular complications to develop, that lead to end-organ damage. However, microvascular damage is understudied in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), despite needing extensive coronary perfusion. Hyperglycemia-mediated reactive aldehydes, like 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) are associated with cardiac damage. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 2, a mitochondrial enzyme which detoxifies 4HNE, is implicated in endothelial cell function in vasculature
