Cholesterol drugs improve the levels of fats (lipids) in the blood, which include cholesterol and triglycerides. Unhealthy levels of cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. People with diabetes have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, and many have abnormal cholesterol counts. Patients are often prescribed these drugs to lower their chance of heart attack and stroke.

In people who do not have diabetes but are at risk, control of risk factors such as unhealthy cholesterol levels and high blood pressure can help prevent diabetes.

Cholesterol medications lower levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and in some cases also increase levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a waxy type of fat. Most is produced naturally by the body, and the rest comes from eating animal products such as meat, eggs and cheese. The body needs some cholesterol for functions such as making hormones and building cell walls.

Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream in a package known as a lipoprotein. Researchers have identified a number of different lipoproteins, each of which interacts with the body in a different way. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are compact packages that can remove cholesterol from arteries, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Other types of lipoproteins, including low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) and intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDLs), are unstable packages that can deposit cholesterol into an artery, thus accelerating atherosclerosis and raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. Triglycerides are another type of fat associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

About 65 percent of deaths among people with diabetes are due to heart disease and stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Rates of fatal cardiovascular disease in diabetic adults are two to four times higher than in nondiabetic adults. The NIH estimates that improved control of blood lipids can reduce cardiovascular complications by 20 to 50 percent in diabetic patients.

People with diabetes can reduce their risk of health problems by maintaining the following cholesterol levels, according to the American Diabetes Association (all measurements are in milligrams per deciliter, mg/dL):

Some materials published by the ADA and other experts call for minimum HDL levels of 45 mg/dL in diabetic men and 55 mg/dL in diabetic women. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends total cholesterol levels of less than 200 mg/dL. Individuals should consult their physician about their cholesterol targets.

However, many diabetes patients are not taking the medications or other steps necessary to improve their cholesterol levels, according to recent research.