The clinical burden of type 2 diabetes in patients with acute coronary syndromes: prognosis and implications for short- and long-term management.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Cardiometabolic risk factors, including hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, increased visceral fat and inflammation, are associated with increased risk in this population and represent potential targets for treatment. In this review, management strategies for patients with T2DM post-ACS, both in the acute-care setting and in the long-term, are discussed. Although the benefits of long-term, aggressive, multifactorial risk factor modification are well established, a significant burden of recurrent events remains and the search for novel strategies continues. Several studies are assessing the potential cardiovascular (CV) benefits and safety of various classes of newer agents. Of these, AleCardio (aleglitazar), Examination of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Alogliptin versus Standard of Care in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Acute Coronary Syndrome (EXAMINE; alogliptin) and Evaluation of LIXisenatide in Acute Coronary Syndrome (ELIXA; lixisenatide) specifically address patients with type 2 diabetes post-ACS. The mechanisms of action of these new therapies and aims of the CV outcome studies are briefly reviewed. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to increase worldwide highlighting the need for new strategies that address the complex underlying processes that drive atherosclerosis and CV events in this high-risk patient population.