The importance of treating multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with a number of metabolic and cardiovascular (or cardiometabolic) risk factors that contribute to a high rate of vascular events in these patients. Adipose tissue is now known to secrete a number of pro-inflammatory adipokines that are thought to mediate the link between obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Therefore, not only is abdominal obesity a major cardiometabolic risk factor per se, it has the potential to give rise to other emerging risk factors. Plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein, may provide additional information to guide management and may even represent therapeutic targets. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes will involve targeting traditional risk factors and probably novel cardiometabolic factors.