About one-third of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of mortality in this group.

Total direct costs associated with CVD complications in patients with T2DM can be twice those of patients without CVD.

The literature on CVD complications in the T2DM population is methodologically diverse, which limits comparative analysis and pooling of data.

In studies published between 2009 and 2019, the prevalence of CVD among patients with T2DM in Spain ranged from 7 to 41%, and in-hospital mortality rates due to CVD were between 6 and 11%.

Given the high burden of treating CVD complications in patients with T2DM, early prevention of CVD is critical and should be a priority in these patients.