Diabetes has become a global public health problem due to its high incidence, severe complications and prolonged illness. The ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors provide a straightforward and simple way to quantify important health behaviors and factors, and clear and operable targets for cardiovascular disease prevention. A growing number of studies confirm that having more ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors is also associated with a lower risk of diabetes. This article reviews the relationship between ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors and the occurrence and development of diabetes and its complications, and explores the value of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors in the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of diabetes.