[Patients with type 2 diabetes have markedly increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Type 2 diabetes is typically associated with atherogenic dyslipidaemia, which is characterized by elevated triglycerides, low plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and an increased ratio of small, dense lowdensity lipoprotein particles. Current treatment guidelines stress the importance of lipidlowering therapy in reducing cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients. Statins currently represent the cornerstone of dyslipidaemia management, based on their ability to efficiently reduce cardiovascular risk through lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. They have, however, a relatively modest effect on the components of atherogenic dyslipidaemia, since they reduce triglycerides by only 15 to 35% and elevate high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by less than 10%. This raises the need for combining statins with other lipid-lowering drugs (ezetimibe, nicotinic acid, fibrate) at an early stage of type 2 diabetes. Authors review the role of simvastatin monotherapy in the treatment of diabetic dyslipidaemia and summarize the results of studies on simvastatin as part of a combined lipid-lowering treatment.]