ABSTRACT
Introduction Patients with diabetes mellitus and particularly those with concurrent hypertension are at high risk of premature and extensive atherosclerotic disease. Dyslipidaemia is an important additional risk factor which is open to therapeutic manipulation. Subgroup analyses of the coronary heart disease (CHD) secondary prevention trials with statin drugs indicate that diabetics do well in terms of risk reduction. In this short review the burden of atherosclerosisrelated disease in diabetes will be discussed together with the impact of dyslipidaemia and hypertension. The pathophysiology of dyslipidaemia will be described and an approach to management outlined. In addition, the impact of diabetic nephropathy and the potential impact of various antihypertensive drugs on dyslipidaemia will be discussed.
