Michel P Hermans, Jean-Charles Fruchart, Jean Davignon, Khalid Al-Rubeaan, Pierre Amarenco
Microvascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy, account for much of the societal burden of diabetes. Even with effective multifactorial intervention, targeting glycemia, blood pressure and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol, in addition to lifestyle intervention, a high residual microvascular risk persists. The Residual Risk Reduction Initiative (R3i) highlights two key priorities for reducing this residual risk. First, there should be optimal management of cardiometabolic risk factors, including atherogenic dyslipidemia, elevated triglycerides and low plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, to improve lipid goal attainment. Second, consistent evidence from two major trials may merit consideration of adjunctive fenofibrate therapy to slow progression of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients with pre-existing disease. These data provide a strong rationale for testing in a prospective study. The R3i strongly believes that addressing both priorities is critical to reducing the substantial residual risk of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.