Compared with others, people with diabetes are more likely to have heart attacks and strokes, and nearly 40% of people with diabetes will develop kidney disease.
In a large international study, researchers found that diabetes drug dulaglutide could reduce heart disease and kidney problems in people with type 2 diabetes.
The effect is strong in middle-aged and older people.
The research was led by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.
Dulaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that is injected once per week.
It is approved for glucose lowering and works by helping the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high, slowing the emptying of the stomach after a meal, and reducing appetite and weight.
In the study, the team followed more than 9,900 people in 24 countries.
During more than five years of follow-up, the team found that heart attacks and strokes were reduced by 12% in people taking dulaglutide.
This effect was seen in both men and women with or without previous heart disease.
In addition, at the same time, the drug cut the development of kidney disease by 15%.
The findings show that drug dulaglutide can safely reduce these health problems while improving diabetes control.
The drug could also modestly lower body weight and blood pressure in middle-aged people with Type 2 diabetes.
One strength of the study is that the participants were very similar to the sorts of people with diabetes who are seen in medical practice.
In addition, these participants were followed for about 5 years, much longer than previous studies.
The team says the drug is well tolerated and can modestly reduce weight, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure, and modestly increase heart rate.
It can be used to protect the heart and kidney health in people with type 2 diabetes.
The lead author of the study is Hertzel C. Gerstein.
The study is published in the journal The Lancet.
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