Managing Heart Disease in Persons with Diabetes

Abstract

There are an estimated 38 million people in the United States who have diabetes mellitus, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. Chronic complications are generally due to insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, with persistent hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and other metabolic pathways disorders. They have 2 to 8 times greater risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease including complications from ischemic heart disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, and stroke, which can result in death for more than 50% of persons with type 2 diabetes. This article will discuss the latest CV risk reduction guideline recommended for persons with diabetes.

Keywords: Cardiovascular complications; Diabetes control and complications trial (DCCT); Epidemiology of diabetes interventions and complications (EDIC); Gestational diabetes; Prediabetes; Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes.