Confronting the residual cardiovascular risk beyond statins: the role of fibrates, omega-3 fatty acids, or niacin, in diabetic patients

Abstract

Diabetics are regarded a special category of patients known to experience higher rates of cardiovascular complications as compared to the non-diabetic ones. Despite substantial efforts to minimize these risks, with aggressive antiplatelet and lipid lowering therapy, some of the diabetic patients still have a considerable residual risk for cardiovascular adverse events. Important preclinical data with potent lipid-lowering agents, like fibrates, omega-3-fatty acids, and niacin, have shown that they can provide sufficient help in reducing rates of cardiovascular events. In the present review, we are aim to explain their basic mechanisms of action, to present all the available clinical data regarding the efficacy of those agents, and to identify specific diabetic patients' subsets, in whom supplementary therapy with those agents could provide substantial benefit in terms of clinical outcome and not only lipid profile improvement.