Atherogenic dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus: what’s new in the management arena?

Ajoy Kumar¹, Vibhuti Singh<sup>2

1</sup>Bayfront Family Medicine Residency, St Petersburg FL, USA; ²University of South Florida College of Medicine and Suncoast Cardiovascular Center, St Petersburg, FL, USA

Abstract: When compared with the general population, the diabetic population is at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as predicted by the Framingham Risk Score calculations (10-year risk 20%). For this reason diabetes is considered a “coronary disease equivalent” condition, as classified by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP) III. Furthermore, patients with diabetes who experience a myocar­dial infarction have a poorer prognosis than non­diabetic patients, which contributes to their overall higher mortality. Dyslipidemia is a major underlying risk factor contributing to the excess CVD risk, and is usually more atherogenic in the presence of diabetes. It is uniquely manifested by raised levels of triglycer­ides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and smaller, denser, and more atherogenic low-density lipoprotein particles. Recent trials have suggested the need for more aggressive treatment of dyslipidemia in this subpopulation than the current recommendations by the NCEP-ATP III. This review addresses the newer developments in the diabetes arena in terms of our current understanding of atherogenic dyslipidemia in diabetes and data from the latest randomized trials addressing its management.

Keywords: atherogenic dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus