Table 1.

Therapeutic targets in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease in diabetes.

Metabolic control (normal blood glucose)

- Acceptable: blood glucose < 140 mg/dl and HbA1c < 7%

- Ideal: basal blood glucose < 110 mg/dl and HbA1c < 6%

Lipid normalization

- TC < 170 mg/dl and TG < 150 mg/dl

- LDL-C < 100 mg/dl (or non-HDL cholesterol < 130 mg/dl)

- HDL-C > 40 mg/dl.

Blood pressure control (BP < 130/80 mmHg)

Smoking cessation Weight loss (normal weight)

- Acceptable: BMI < 27 kg/m2

- Ideal: BMI < 25 kg/m2

Frequent aerobic physical exercise

Other measures: antiaggregants are under study to show their value in diabetes (use of low-dose ASA is recommended in some subjects with high cardiovascular risk)

HbA1c: glycated hemoglobin; LDL-C: low density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C: high density lipoprotein cholesterol; BMI: body mass index; ASA: acetyl salicylic acid. Source: "Grupo de Trabajo Diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus y riesgo cardiovascular. Recomendaciones del Grupo de Trabajo Diabetes Mellitus y Enfermedad Cardiovascular de la Sociedad Española de Diabetes. Clin Invest Arterioscl 2004;16:74–8".