[Dyslipidemia in diabetes mellitus]

Patients with diabetes mellitus are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular complications in diabetes. Increased triglyceride and reduced HDL-cholesterol plasma concentrations are common features of dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes. The LDL particles are small and dense and have an increased atherogenity. Abnormalities in lipoprotein composition are observed in diabetes mellitus, especially in type 2. Post-hoc subgroup analyses of studies on the effect of lipid-lowering therapy on cardiovascular events suggest that treatment of dyslipidemia in diabetes may prevent cardiovascular complications. There are increasing indications that dyslipidemia in diabetes mellitus deserves aggressive treatment and that lipid target levels should be very low.