Cardiovascular prevention in patients with diabetes and prediabetes.

This review summarizes some information on the management of diabetic patients at risk for or with already established coronary artery disease. Improved knowledge among diabetologists regarding treatment and prevention of cardiovascular complications and among cardiologists regarding diabetology is a prerequisite for progress to be made for patients with diabetes mellitus with cardiovascular disease. Considering the large and rapidly increasing number of patients at risk, it is certainly urgent to get started. The high costs associated with the management of diabetic patients with coronary artery disease suggest that improved primary and secondary prevention very likely will be cost-effective. Reference is made to the recently published European guidelines for diabetes, prediabetes and cardiovascular disease issued by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).