Itoh H, et al. - In a primary prevention setting in Japan, researchers evaluated the benefits of intensive statin therapy in reducing cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with type 2 diabetes complicated with hyperlipidemia and retinopathy. They hypothesized that intensive therapy in patients attaining their target (low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol < 1.81 mmol/L) would be superior to standard therapy (LDL cholesterol target ≥ 2.59 to < 3.10 mmol/L) in reducing the incidence of composite CV events. The composite incidence of CV events was the primary endpoint. Data from 1,909 patients who achieved LDL cholesterol target levels were analyzed. According to this post hoc analysis, in patients with hypercholesterolemia and diabetic retinopathy, achieving LDL cholesterol target levels < 1.81 mmol/L may reduce CV events more effectively vs achieving target levels ≥ 2.59 to < 3.10 mmol/L.