Foreword from the Supplement Editors

New developments in metabolic syndrome and diabetes are particularly impactful regarding cardiovascular complications and are hugely relevant to the burden of disease faced in primary care. The advent of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors is providing us with an enhanced toolkit. These agents can not only improve glycaemic control, but also have benefits on hard cardiovascular endpoints.

GPs have a major role to play in ensuring all people in Australia with diabetes and metabolic syndrome have access to the best care, thus preventing, in particular, the development of heart failure – one of the biggest causes of morbidity and mortality among these patients.

This supplement brings together five articles that provide an up-to-date guide to state-of-the-art approaches in areas including cardiovascular risk assessment and management in patients with type 2 diabetes, the relationship between kidney disease and the heart, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. A particular highlight is the update on aspirin therapy in diabetes, an area in which Australian researchers have led the world in a substantial shift in recommendations.

We hope that this supplement, which brings together diverse expert authors, will provide a clinically relevant overview of these important topics that will help GPs around Australia improve the cardiovascular health of their patients with diabetes.

Professor Gemma Figtree MB BS, DPhil (Oxon), FRACP, FCSANZ, FAHA

Professor in Medicine at The University of Sydney; and Professor of Medicine,
Northern Clinical School at Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW.
Professor Figtree co-leads the Cardiovascular Theme for Sydney Health Partners, an NHMRC
Advanced Health Research and Translation Centre, and is the Chair of The University of Sydney’s
multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Initiative. She is also President of the
Australian Cardiovascular Alliance and Chair of the Mission for the Medical Research
Future Fund Cardiovascular Health Expert Advisory Panel.
 

Professor Louise Burrell MBChB, MRCP, MD, FRACP

Director of Research in General Medicine and Head of Medical Unit 4 at the
Austin Hospital in Melbourne; and Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, Vic.
Professor Burrell is a Clinician-Scientist with specialist training in
general medicine and endocrinology.
At the University of Melbourne, she heads the Cardiovascular Research Group, a multidisciplinary
team of scientists, physicians and PhD students with a research program funded by the NHMRC.
Professor Burrell has held major roles with the International Society of Hypertension, including
Chair of the International Forum and Regional Advisory Groups, Vice President and Treasurer.