Diabetes and the Wider Cardiovascular Risk

Looking beyond atherosclerosis and heart failure

Cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of illness and death in people with diabetes mellitus. Much clinical attention has focused on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure. However, diabetes is also associated with several other important cardiovascular conditions.

In this review, published in November 2026, Joanna Y. Gong and colleagues examine these less recognised associations. They focus on common cardiovascular diseases identified by the 2023 Global Burden of Disease study. The authors also consider whether glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors could help prevent or improve these conditions.