Cardiovascular Disease in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: Looking Beyond Glycemic Control

Purpose of Review Despite improvements in treatment, people with type 1 diabetes continue to have increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Glycemic control does not fully explain this excess CVD risk, so a greater understanding of other risk factors is needed. Recent Findings The authors review the relationship between glycemia and CVD risk in adults with type 1 diabetes and summarize evidence regarding other factors that may explain risk beyond glycemia. Insulin resistance, weight gain, sex differences, genetics, inflammation, emerging markers of risk, including lipid subclasses and epigenetic modifications, and future directions are discussed. As glycemic control improves, an increased focus on other CVD risk factors is warranted in type 1 diabetes. Novel markers and precision medicine approaches may improve CVD prediction, but a lack of type 1 diabetes-specific guidelines for lipids, blood pressure, and physical activity are likely impediments to optimal CVD prevention in this high-risk population.