[Which HbA1c and lipid targets in patients with type 2 diabetes?].

Patients with type 2 diabetes are at high cardiovascular risk and require a global management targeting all risk factors. Target values for blood pressure have been discussed in a previous paper. The present clinical case summarizes the most important arguments concerning the choice of the target values for glucose control (glycated haemoglobin or HbA1c) and lipid management. As far as glucose control is concerned, the objective should be individually adjusted, based on the benefits/risks ratio, with a less stringent HbA1c level in presence of coronary heart disease and risk of severe hypoglycaemia. However, in absence of these two risks factors, the objective should be reinforced (HbA1c < 7%), essentially to prevent or retard microangiopathic lesions. As far as lipid management is concerned, the most crucial goal remains LDL cholesterol lowering, with a target value < 100 mg/dL in patients at high cardiovascular risk and <70 mg/dL in patients at very high risk, according to the recent European guidelines. Dyslipidaemia related to the metabolic syndrome (hypertriglyceridaemia, low HDL cholesterol) may also represent a therapeutic target (non-HDL cholesterol), although evidence is mostly missing in the literature.