The best fit model of risk factors associated with the time to first CVD occurrence (in the study) over a seven and one-half year period had as significant predictors: prior cardiovascular event [hazard ratio (HR) 3.378; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 3.079-3.807; P <0.0001), baseline plasma bFGF (HR 1.008; 95% CI 1.002-1.014; P D0.01), age (HR 1.027; 95% CI 1.004-1.051; P D0.019), baseline plasma triglycerides (HR 1.001; 95% CI 1.000-1.002; P D0.02), and diabetes duration-treatment interaction (P D0.03). Intensive glucose-lowering was associated with significantly decreased hazard ratios for CVD occurrence (0.38-0.63) in patients with known diabetes duration of 0-10 years, and nonsignificantly increased hazard ratios for CVD occurrence (0.82-1.78) in patients with longer diabetes duration. Conclusion: High level of plasma bFGF is a predictive biomarker of future CVD occurrence in this population of adult type 2 diabetes.