In diabetic patients, lipid-lowering drug therapy is almost always necessary, even when the lipid profile is seemingly unremarkable. This treatment is primarily aimed at reaching the target LDL cholesterol level (<70 mg/dL or <100 mg/dL, depending on prior cardiac or renal diseases, age, or concomitant risk factors) by prescribing a statin, with or without ezetimibe. Thereafter, adding a fibrate or including omega-3 fatty acid supplementation should be considered in patients whose triglyceride levels remain high, so as to target non-HDL cholesterol (<100 mg/dL or <130 mg/dL, depending on age or concomitant risk factors).
Keywords
Cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular prevention, guidelines, statin, ezetimibe, diabetes, adherence