Numerous studies have demonstrated that the traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease play an important role in patients with diabetes. Patients with diabetes without other risk factors have a relatively low risk of cardiovascular disease whereas the increasing prevalence of risk factors markedly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The major reversible risk factors are hypertension, cigarette smoking, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol. Other risk factors include obesity (particularly visceral obesity), insulin resistance, small dense LDL, elevated triglycerides, procoagulent state (increased PAI-1, fibrinogen), homocystine, Lp (a), renal disease, microalbuminuria, and inflammation (C-reactive protein, SAA, cytokines). In the last decade it has become clear that to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes one will not only need to improve glycemic control but also address these other cardiovascular risk factors. In the remainder of this section we will focus on the dyslipidemia that occurs in patients with diabetes.