To achieve good metabolic control in diabetes and keep long term, a combination of changes in lifestyle and pharmacological treatment is necessary. Achieving near-normal glycated hemoglobin significantly, decreases risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications. At present there are different treatments, both oral and injectable, available for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Treatment algorithms designed to reduce the development or progression of the complications of diabetes emphasizes the need for good glycaemic control. The aim of this review is to perform an update on the benefits and limitations of different drugs, both current and future, for the treatment of T2DM. Initial intervention should focus on lifestyle changes. Moreover, changes in lifestyle have proven to be beneficial, but for many patients is a complication keep long term. Physicians should be familiar with the different types of existing drugs for the treatment of diabetes and select the most effective, safe and better tolerated by patients. Metformin remains the first choice of treatment for most patients. Other alternative or second-line treatment options should be individualized depending on the characteristics of each patient. This article reviews the treatments available for patients with T2DM, with an emphasis on agents introduced within the last decade.

Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients are associated with adverse outcomes including increased rates of infection, longer hospital length of stay, and even death. Clinical trials in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus proved that by improving glycemic control, we can reduce all of them. Insulin is the preferred treatment for glycemic control in most cases, but alternative treatment options that can normalize blood glucose levels without hypoglycemia are being sought. Moreover, hospitalized patients are particularly vulnerable to severe, prolonged hypoglycemia since they may be unable to sense or respond to the early warning signs and symptoms of low blood glucose. Finally, nutritional support, corticosteroid therapy, and surgery increase the risk of hyperglycemia that leads to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We review the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who are admitted to the general medical wards of the hospital for a procedure of intercurrent illness.

Diabetic dyslipidaemia (DD) comprises a complex group of potentially atherogenic lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities, including both quantitative and qualitative changes. It is characterised by low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and a higher prevalence of small, dense LDL particles, as well as elevated fasting and postprandial triglycerides. Patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased prevalence of lipid abnormalities and controlling dyslipidaemia in these patients has a big impact on morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle changes are still the pillar of treatment for DD and statins are the drugs of choice that decrease LDL-C and reduce cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death, either in primary or secondary prevention, in diabetic patients. Pitavastatin has a number of pleiotropic effects that reduce the metabolic changes associated with adiposity and improve glucose metabolism, which distinguishes it from other statins. New treatments, such as PCSK9 inhibitors, have proven to be powerful LDL-C-lowering agents; however, the need for long-term safety studies and the high associated costs are the main challenges. Future treatments, such as an intracellular PCSK9 inhibitor, a dual proliferator-activated receptor-alpha/gamma agonist, and bempedoic acid, are in development. The aim of this article is to review the pathophysiology of DD and discuss its role in cardiovascular event risk and treatment, as well as to study the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on glucose metabolism and the outcomes of antidiabetic treatment on dyslipidaemia.

People with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), compared with non-diabetic individuals, have increased cardiovascular risk. Part of this excess risk is associated with a higher prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors in these patients, such as obesity, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension. However, the increased cardiovascular risk present in T2DM cannot be attributed entirely to the high prevalence of traditional risk factors and other non-traditional risk factors may also be important for people with T2DM. Evidence suggests that in patients with T2DM, treatment of cardiovascular risk factors is very important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The poor control of risk factors observed in the diabetic population supports the need for more aggressive treatment of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, especially in patients with previous CVD. There is little evidence on the independent association between traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors, however these risk factors do not appear in isolation and are produced at the same time, exacerbating the risk of a cardiovascular event. Targeting multiple markers of CVD risk offers the best chance of improving CVD outcomes. The objective of this review is to highlight the importance of managing cardiovascular risk factors in patients with T2DM.