GLP-1s could reduce fatal cardiovascular episodes and stroke risk

GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy could reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and fatal or non-fatal stroke in people with type 2 diabetes, research has concluded.

Chinese researchers compared the drug with placebo in the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes in trials with cardiovascular outcomes.

The study published by BMC Endocrine Disorders analysed data from six multinational double-blind, randomised, placebo-control trials that included a total of 52,821 participants

The research team from the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University used PubMed and Embase were searched to find relevant randomised controlled trials from inception to June 2019 that evaluated the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists on cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes.

The participants of all the eligible trials received either GLP-1 therapy or placebo, and the cardiovascular outcomes included death from cardiovascular causes, fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction and fatal or non-fatal stroke.

Summarising the results, the researchers said: “The results indicated that GLP-1 receptor agonists reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular causes (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83–0.97; P = 0.004) and fatal or non-fatal stroke (RR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77–0.94; P = 0.001) compared with the placebo controls. But GLP-1 receptor agonists did not significantly alter the fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction compared with the placebo (RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.82 – 1.01; P = 0.06).”

They summarised: “We concluded that GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy could reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and fatal or non-fatal stroke compared with the placebo in the treatment of T2DM patients in trials with cardiovascular outcomes.”

To access the study, click here.