Conclusion
Cardiovascular disease is arguably the most important complication of diabetes and is an important outcome in clinical trials as new drugs for diabetes must now prove their cardiovascular safety prior to approval. Many of the well-established diabetes medications do not have the benefit of strong cardiovascular safety data, rather they demonstrate the ability to control diabetes with the surrogate glycaemic marker HbA1c. Recent large trials assessing the impact of glycaemic control on cardiovascular risk highlight the importance of individualised care and addressing other modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in order to gain long-term benefit.