Mixed dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease: clinical implications.

Metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus are individually associated with increased cardiovascular risk; furthermore, the combination of metabolic syndrome with diabetes accentuates this risk. An atherogenic dyslipidemia characterized by elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or both conditions is a key modifiable risk factor associated with both conditions. As the development of this atherogenic mixed dyslipidemia precedes the onset of overt glycemia and the clinical diagnosis of diabetes, early effective intervention is recommended to reduce the risk of premature cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.