A new study suggests that popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic could do more than help people lose weight—they may also protect people who have had a stroke from future heart problems or even death.
The research found that stroke survivors who took either GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or SGLT2 drugs like Jardiance or Farxiga had a much lower risk of serious health problems in the years following their stroke.
These patients were 74% less likely to die and 84% less likely to suffer a heart attack over an average period of three years. In addition, those who took SGLT2 drugs had a 67% lower risk of having another stroke.
The study was led by Dr. Ali Sheffeh, a physician and research scholar at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He explained that stroke survivors often face other health risks, including heart attacks, because many of the same risk factors contribute to both conditions. That’s why managing those risks is key to helping people recover and stay healthy after a stroke.
To learn more, Dr. Sheffeh and his team reviewed the medical records of more than 7,000 adults who had experienced strokes caused by blood clots between January 2000 and June 2022 in Minnesota and Wisconsin. They wanted to see if taking GLP-1 or SGLT2 drugs after a stroke made a difference.
GLP-1 medications help control blood sugar and support weight loss by mimicking a hormone in the body that controls insulin and appetite. SGLT2 drugs work by helping the kidneys remove extra sugar from the blood through urine.
The results were eye-opening. Among stroke patients who took either of these medications, fewer than 12% died during the follow-up period, compared to more than 54% of those who didn’t take the drugs. Only 1.5% of patients on the medications had a heart attack, while 6% of patients who didn’t take the medications had one.
These findings match earlier research showing that GLP-1 and SGLT2 drugs can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and death—especially in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, a stroke expert with the American Heart Association and a professor at Wake Forest University, said the new study supports what other clinical trials have shown. These drugs not only help people lose weight, but they also lower blood pressure and reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries, both of which are major stroke and heart attack risks.
GLP-1 drugs may also reduce the risk of blood clots by preventing platelets from sticking together, which could be another reason they help lower the risk of a second stroke.
However, experts say more research is needed. Since this study was presented at a medical conference and not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, the findings should be seen as early evidence. Doctors are calling for clinical trials to confirm whether these drugs could officially become part of stroke treatment guidelines.
Even so, the results are promising. If confirmed, these medications could one day offer stroke survivors a new way to protect their heart and brain—and live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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