A new study has found that a diabetes drug called tirzepatide may be just as effective as another drug, dulaglutide, in protecting the heart health of people with type 2 diabetes.
This is important because people with diabetes often have a higher risk of heart problems like heart attacks and strokes.
The research, led by Dr. Stephen Nicholls from Monash University in Australia, was published in the December issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. In this study, scientists looked at more than 13,000 adults who had both type 2 diabetes and a type of heart disease called atherosclerosis, where the arteries become narrow or blocked.
The participants were split into two groups. One group received weekly injections of tirzepatide, while the other group received weekly injections of dulaglutide.
The goal of the study was to see which drug worked better at preventing serious heart-related problems, such as death from heart causes, heart attacks, or strokes. These serious problems were seen in 12.2 percent of people taking tirzepatide and 13.1 percent of people taking dulaglutide.
The results showed that tirzepatide was at least as good as dulaglutide in reducing the risk of these heart problems. In scientific terms, tirzepatide was “noninferior” to dulaglutide.
Although tirzepatide did not clearly prove to be better than dulaglutide, the findings still suggest that it could be a helpful option, especially since both drugs had similar rates of side effects. One difference was that people taking tirzepatide had more stomach-related side effects, such as nausea or diarrhea.
Doctors are excited about this study because tirzepatide is already known to help people lose weight. Now, it also seems to help protect the heart in people with diabetes.
Dr. Supreeti Behuria, a heart specialist in New York who was not part of the study, said this could be a big step forward. She noted that weight loss itself improves heart health, so a drug like tirzepatide that helps with both weight and heart issues could be very valuable.
In the future, tirzepatide may be used more often not just for managing diabetes and weight, but also for protecting heart health in people at risk. This is good news for many people who are looking for treatments that do more than just control blood sugar.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about top foods to love for a stronger heart, and why oranges may help fight obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
For more health information, please see recent studies about simple guide to a 7-day diabetes meal plan, and why you should add black beans to your plate.
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