The diabetes epidemic is on the rise in the US and worldwide, posing major healthcare and economic challenges [1–4]. It has been estimated that the number of diabetes patients in the US will increase to 29 million (7.2% of the population) by 2050 [1]. However, recent studies have challenged these numbers and have projected the prevalence of diabetes to rise to substantially greater levels – for example, one prediction is that diabetes will afflict 14.5% (37.7 million) of the US population by 2031 [5]. The economic burden of diabetes is monumental. In 2002, the cost of diabetes was estimated to be US132 billion (185 billion) in medical expenditure and lost productivity in the US alone [2]. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of mortality and disability in people with diabetes [6] and is associated with up to 80% of premature death in this patient population. The risk factors contributing to the increased odds of CVD in diabetes can be classified as traditional and non-traditional (Table 1) [7]. The major risk factors in the traditional group are hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles [7]. Non-traditional risk factors include low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and the prothrombotic state (increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, platelet aggregation, and fibrinogen) [7,8].