In a recent study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, UT Southwestern researchers found a commonly prescribed weight-loss drug called liraglutide could benefit heart health.
In the study, 185 participants were given a once-daily injection of liraglutide over 40 weeks of treatment.
The team found in people who are overweight or have obesity combined with high heart risk, once-daily liraglutide combined with lifestyle interventions effectively lowered two types of fat that have been linked to heart problems: visceral fat (belly fat) and ectopic fat.
There was a big decrease in visceral fat in patients without diabetes but who were overweight or had obesity.
The relative effects of liraglutide on fat reduction were two-fold greater in the abdominal tissues and six-fold greater in the liver than seen on overall body weight.
These results suggest liraglutide treatment may effectively lower the risk of chronic disease in overweight and obese people.
In a recent study published in The Lancet, McMaster University researchers found a combination therapy of aspirin, statins and at least two blood pressure drugs can cut the risk of heart disease and stroke by more than half.
In the study, researchers gleaned their findings from combining data from three big studies on a total of 18,000 people who followed for about 5 years.
The fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapies were examined both with and without aspirin in an analysis of more than 18,000 patients without prior heart problems.
The team found FDCs including aspirin cut the risk of heart attacks by 53%, stroke by 51%, and deaths from heart causes by 49%.
The benefits are consistent at different blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and with or without diabetes, but larger benefits may occur in older people.
The team says the demonstration of a low-cost approach using fixed-dose combinations to reduce heart disease by about 50% is extraordinary and represents a huge opportunity to tackle the condition globally.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about diet that could boost your gut health and weight loss, and 10 small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about heartburn drug that could help treat COVID-19, reduce severity, and results showing this drug may reduce obesity, fatty liver, improve heart function.
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