- In a study involving older military veterans, researchers said certain types of diabetes medications can reduce the risk heart ailments when combined with other diabetes drugs.
- Experts say heart health issues are common in people with diabetes, so the research could be applicable to a wider portion of the population.
- The drugs in the study included GLP1, DPP4, and SGLT2 medications.
Some diabetes medications could decrease the risk of cardiovascular events when added to other diabetes medications, according to a study published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers tested three major types of diabetes medications – GLP1, DPP4, and SGLT2 – to existing diabetes treatment regimens.
The scientists noted that recent clinical trials for newer diabetes medications:
- Tested the drugs vs. a placebo but did not test the drugs against one another
- Looked at cardiovascular benefits but only by testing in people who already had heart disease
The researchers wanted to know which class of medications was best for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, even in people who did not previously have heart disease.
They reported that the GLP1 drugs reduced the risk of adverse cardiovascular events and heart failure hospitalizations compared to DPP4 medications.
SGLT2 drugs did not reduce cardiovascular events or heart failure hospitalizations compared to DPP4 medications.
The scientists looked at medical records of almost 100,000 veterans who received a prescription for diabetes medications, such as metformin, insulin, or sulfonylurea, between 2001 and 2016.
They then added one of the three newer medications – GLP1, DPP4, or SGLT2. Follow-up continued until 2019.
GLP1 receptor agonists included:
SGLT2 inhibitors included:
DPP4 inhibitors included:
The median age of participants was 67 and the median duration of diabetes was 8.5 years.
The findings included:
- GLP1 reception agonists were associated with about a 20% reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and heart…
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