Part 3: Lipid Management in Diabetes Patients

Recommendations for other lipid components—non–HDL-C, apolipoprotein B, or LDL-P—are very specific and consideration may be given for referral to an endocrinologist or lipidologist for evaluation and treatment.^7,8 Evidence on reducing cardiovascular risk with therapies for decreasing triglyceride levels is limited. Recently though, icosapent ethyl received FDA approval as an adjunct to maximally tolerated statin therapy to reduce the risk for cardiovascular events in patients with elevated triglyceride levels (≥ 150 mg/dL).^34,35 ADA guidelines recommend icosapent ethyl for patients with diabetes, 1 additional cardiovascular risk factor, and triglyceride levels between 135 and 499 mg/dL.²

In Part 4, I’ll explore how clinicians can best monitor for chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes. We’ll also discuss the medications used for improving kidney health in these patients.