Diabetes is associated with increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Disordered lipid metabolism is a major contributor to ASCVD risk in diabetes. Dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes is characterized by hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol and the presence of small, dense LDL particles. Statins have demonstrated longstanding benefit for reducing ASCVD risk in individuals with diabetes. Newer agents for add-on therapies to statins are now available for additional cardiovascular risk reduction. In this clinical overview, we review the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia in both types 1 and 2 diabetes and provide an update on the management of lipids in the individual with diabetes. We discuss the importance of appropriate risk stratification, individualized treatment selection, and the need to avoid therapy inertia to mitigate cardiovascular risk. We will also address lipid-related effects of glycemic lowering therapies.
Keywords: GLP-1 receptor agonists; HDL cholesterol; LDL cholesterol; SGLT2 inhibitors; cardiovascular disease; fibrates; fish oil; hypertriglyceridemia; statins; type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes.
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