Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Aug 2023
Editorial Comment[Cardiovascular prevention: Better safe than sorry].
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Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disease with >500 million people affected worldwide and currently 8,7 million in Germany. About 90% of diabetes cases are due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). This form of diabetes is characterized by an increased release of proinflammatory adipokines, endothelial dysfunction and hyperglycemia, among others. ⋯ People with diabetes are therefore generally considered a high-risk cardiovascular group and require special attention in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Contributing factors to reduce high cardiovascular risk include a healthy lifestyle, normalization of blood pressure, optimization of blood lipid levels, and specific diabetes therapy tailored to cardiovascular risk. This review addresses the specific treatment options for reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes mellitus.
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Pharmacological reduction of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major treatment strategy in limiting atherosclerotic cardiovascular (ASCVD) risk. Statins remain the primary therapeutic cornerstone in ASCVD prevention. ⋯ An important reason for this is the limited use of novel and effective non-statin lipid-lowering therapies. In order to achieve LDL-C treatment goals and, ultimately, reduction of cardiovascular events, a combination lipid-lowering therapy needs to be considered as the standard of care for patients at very high cardiovascular risk.
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According to WHO, overweight and obesity are responsible for more than 1,2 million deaths in Europe each year, representing >13% of the Region's total mortality. According to the 2022 Obesity Report, it will take significant effort to get people to adopt healthier lifestyles and be more physically active. Therapeutic measures in the context of an escalating stepwise approach should include strategies for a targeted weight reduction and long-term weight maintenance. An important health policy goal should be better access to these therapy options with an additional focus on primary prevention.