Diabetes and dyslipidemia: Why are they so closely related?

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases that are characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The cause of premature death among patients with diabetes predominantly involves cardiovascular diseases. The risk of death from cardiovascular complications is so high that diabetes mellitus is considered a risk equivalent to a manifest atherosclerotic disease. High cardiovascular risk is also determined by dyslipidemia which is present in a large number of patients with diabetes. The review is devoted to the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia in type 1 and type 2 diabetes with an emphasis on atherogenic dyslipidemia. It describes the strategy of therapeutic procedures and their effect on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.Key words: atherogenic dyslipidemia - fibrates - statins - type 2 diabetes mellitus.