The role of the thiazolidinediones in the practical management of patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors.

The American Diabetes Association's objective for treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is to normalize glycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations while controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and other cardiovascular risk factors. This article focuses on the role of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes with comorbid cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance is one of the earliest and main defects in type 2 diabetes and is strongly linked to comorbid cardiovascular conditions. The TZDs rosiglitazone and pioglitazone work mainly by reducing insulin resistance and may have the potential to alter the natural history of type 2 diabetes and reduce the cardiovascular mortality and morbidity associated with this condition.