OBJECTIVES: Diabetes patients' management is complex and requires that many issues, beyond glycemic control, be addressed. Management of lipid profile is a crucial component of cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction in diabetic population. We assessed the characteristics of dyslipidemia among an adult type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population that added either sulphonylurea (SU) or a PPARg agonist to previous metformin (MF) therapy in Spain. METHODS: A retrospective clinical chart review and patient survey during physician visits (June 2006-February 2007) was conducted in Spain. Patients were aged ≥30 years at time of T2DM diagnosis and added SU or a PPARg agonist to previous MF between 2001 and 2006. Patients with gestational diabetes or T1DM were excluded. For the present analysis patients with missing values for LDL-c, HDL-c or triglycerides (TGs) were excluded. Individual patient lipid profiles were compared with the recommended lipid targets for diabetic patients by the latest ADA consensus. RESULTS: A total of 493 patients were recruited, and 338 included in this analysis. Average age was 63.1 (SD 10.6) years, 46.7% were female, and mean time from diabetes diagnosis was 8.6 (SD 5.3). The lipid parameter most frequently not at target was LDL-c (79.6%), followed by TGs (42.9%) and HDL-c (37.6%).  17.5% of patients had the three lipid parameters out of goal, and 31.4% had two of them not at target. Out of the 338 patients only 20 (a 6% approx.) presented all three lipid parameters at the recommended level. CONCLUSIONS: diabetic patients that start oral combination therapy with either MF+SU or MF + a PPARg agonist, very frequently have their lipid parameters not at recommended level.  A greater focus is required to comprehensively manage their lipid profile, and reduce the cardiovascular risk associated with it.