Nontraditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease in diabetes.

People with type 2 diabetes are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD), compared with those without diabetes. Traditional risk factors do not fully explain this excess risk, and other "nontraditional" risk factors may be important. This review will highlight the importance of nontraditional risk factors for CVD in the setting of type 2 diabetes and discuss their role in the pathogenesis of the excess CVD morbidity and mortality in these patients. We will also discuss the impact of various therapies used in patients with diabetes on nontraditional risk factors.