With type 2 diabetes (T2D) a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), there is an urgent need to expand the use of therapies proven to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with T2D, conclude Jonathan D. Newman, MD, MPH, FACC, et al., in a state-of-the-art review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The review synthesizes current evidence and scientific statements from the ACC, American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association as they pertain to cardiovascular disease prevention in T2D patients. The paper focuses on two primary domains: lifestyle management and management of cardiovascular risk factors for prevention of atherosclerotic risk in this patient population.

The authors note that less than 50 percent of U.S. adults with T2D meet recommended guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention. By 2050, approximately one in three people in the U.S. may have T2D. Based on these trends and their review, the authors write that "[cardiovascular] risk reduction is critically important for the care of patients with diabetes, with or without known cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors." Of note, the authors recommend "an individually tailored aggressive management program to control multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors simultaneously," saying such a tactic "represents the best potential to prevent cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality among patients with T2D."

The authors go on to suggest that "use of statins, aspirin, glucose-lowering therapies and blood pressure reduction should be considered on a background of intensive lifestyle management including exercise, nutrition and weight management," in all T2D patients. "The uniform use of proven medical therapies could meaningfully impact the morbidity and mortality for the diabetic patient over his or her lifetime," they write.

Keywords: United States, American Heart Association, Risk Factors, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Cardiovascular Diseases, Blood Pressure, Risk Reduction Behavior, Life Style, Aspirin, Glucose

< Back to Listings