Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most significant prognostic factor in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, a significant number of individuals may develop CVD that does not present with the classic angina-related or heart failure symptoms. In these cases, CVD may seem to be 'silent' or 'asymptomatic', but may be more accurately characterised as unrecognised diabetic cardiac impairment. An initial step to raise awareness of unrecognised CVD in individuals with T2D would be to reach a consensus regarding the terminology used to describe this phenomenon. By standardising the terminologies, and agreeing on the implementation of an efficient screening program, it is anticipated that patients will receive an earlier diagnosis and appropriate and timely treatment. Given the availability of anti-diabetic medications that have been shown to concomitantly reduce CV risk and mortality, it is imperative to improve early identification and initiate treatment as soon as possible in order to enable as many patients with T2D as possible to benefit.

Clinic for Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases CCS Faculty of Medicine University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia

Department of Cardiology and Cardiosurgery School of Medicine University of Warmia and Mazury Olsztyn Poland

Department of Cardiology Hungarian Defence Forces Medical Centre Budapest Hungary

Department of Cardiology Tartu University Hospital Tartu Estonia

Department of Diabetes Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest Romania

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Merkur University Hospital School of Medicine Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia

Department of Heart Failure and Transplantation National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Bratislava Slovak Republic

Department of Internal Medicine St John Hospital Linz Austria

Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes of the University Hospital Zurich Switzerland

Faculty of Internal Medicine University of Latvia Riga Latvia

Fakultní Nemocnice Ostrava Poruba Czech Republic

Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center Jerusalem Israel

Institute of Endocrinology Medical Academy Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Lithuania

Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria

National Cardiology Hospital Sofia Bulgaria

National Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetology Lubochna Slovakia

Russian Cardiology Research Complex Moscow Russia

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