{"id":809977,"date":"2026-08-11T11:12:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/809977\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T11:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:12:13","slug":"heart-attack-glp-1-drug-tirzepatide-may-cut-risk-by-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/809977\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart attack: GLP-1 drug tirzepatide may cut risk by 33%"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AShare on Pinterest<\/a>A new study on the GLP-1 drug tirzepatide reveals heart health benefits for people with diabetes. Igor Alecsander\/Getty ImagesResearchers continue to examine how GLP-1 medications may affect aspects of a person\u2019s health outside of type 2 diabetes treatment and weight loss. Past studies show that GLP-1 drugs may help lower a person\u2019s risk for cardiovascular disease. A new study found that adding tirzepatide to standard care for people with both type 2 diabetes and heart disease may help lower their risk for a major cardiovascular event.<\/p>\n

Now, a new study published in the journal The BMJ<\/a> reports further evidence of a link between GLP-1 medications and heart health benefits. <\/p>\n

The researchers found that adding the GLP-1 medication tirzepatide<\/a> \u2014 the active ingredient in Mounjaro<\/a> and Zepbound<\/a> \u2014 to standard care for people with both type 2 diabetes and heart disease may help lower their risk for a major cardiovascular event, such as a stroke<\/a> or heart attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For this study, researchers analyzed clinical practice data from almost 53,000 people with both type 2 diabetes and heart disease. <\/p>\n

Study participants were split into two groups \u2014 one group started taking tirzepatide and the second group took the diabetes medication sitagliptin<\/a> \u2014 and scientists measured any reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)<\/a>, which include heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause.<\/p>\n

\u201cGLP-1\u2013based medications were initially developed to improve glucose control<\/a>, but their effects appear to extend well beyond blood sugar and weight loss,\u201d Nils Kr\u00fcger, MD, MPH<\/a>, a physician data scientist in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston, lead author of this study, told Medical News Today. <\/p>\n

\u201cCardiovascular disease remains the leading source of illness and death globally, so it is important to understand whether these medications can also reduce heart attacks, strokes, heart failure<\/a>, and mortality,\u201d Kr\u00fcger continued. <\/p>\n

\u201cStudying these broader effects helps clinicians and patients make treatment decisions based on the full range of potential benefits and risks rather than on metabolic outcomes alone,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

At the study\u2019s conclusion, researchers found that after one year, participants in the tirzepatide group had a 2.9% MACE risk, compared with 4.4% in the sitagliptin group.<\/p>\n

Scientists also estimated that for every 70 study participants who started tirzepatide, one case of MACE could be prevented.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese findings translate the relative effect into a measure that is tangible for clinicians and patients,\u201d Kr\u00fcger said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe 1.4-percentage-point absolute difference means that, among patients similar to those in our study, treating approximately 70 people with tirzepatide rather than the cardiovascular-neutral comparator for one year would be associated with one fewer major cardiovascular event.\u201d
\u2014 Nils Kr\u00fcger, MD, MPH<\/p>\n

Additionally, researchers discovered that tirzepatide use was linked to a 33% lower risk of having a heart attack, when compared to sitagliptin. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe reduction in myocardial infarction is important because heart attack is one of the most serious and clinically consequential complications of diabetes and established cardiovascular disease,\u201d Kr\u00fcger explained. \u201cThe finding also suggests that the overall reduction in major cardiovascular events was not driven solely by mortality.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kr\u00fcger said the mechanisms behind tirzepatide possibly helping lower MACE risk are likely multifactorial. <\/p>\n

\u201cTirzepatide improves glucose control, reduces body weight<\/a>, and may favorably influence blood pressure<\/a>, lipids<\/a>, inflammation, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. In our study, the cardiovascular event curves began to separate relatively early, before substantial weight loss would generally be expected, raising the possibility that vascular or anti-inflammatory effects may also contribute.\u201d
\u2014 Nils Kr\u00fcger, MD, MPH<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lower risks of serious infections and infection-related mortality suggest that non-atherosclerotic<\/a> pathways may be involved as well, although the exact mechanisms require further investigation,\u201d Kr\u00fcger added. <\/p>\n

Kr\u00fcger said their next steps in this research are to examine whether these benefits persist over longer follow-up and can be replicated in other populations and healthcare systems. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe also want to better understand the mechanisms underlying the reductions in infection-related events, and to determine how tirzepatide compares directly with other cardiometabolic therapies, including other incretin<\/a>-based treatments and SGLT2 inhibitors<\/a>,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

MNT spoke with Cheng-Han Chen, MD<\/a>, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who commented that this study adds to a rapidly expanding body of evidence highlighting the cardiometabolic benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists. <\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond their established role in managing type 2 diabetes, these medications are increasingly associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes,\u201d Chen, who was not involved in this study, explained. \u201cGLP-1 receptor agonists have emerged as one of the most impactful therapeutic classes in recent years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA growing number of studies demonstrate benefits across a spectrum of cardiometabolic conditions, suggesting these agents could play a meaningful role in lowering the overall burden of cardiovascular disease at a population level,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

MNT also spoke with Sanjeev Kumar Gulati, MD, FACC<\/a>, executive deputy director of Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care and system chief of cardiovascular medicine at Baptist Health South Florida, who likewise was not involved in this study. <\/p>\n

Gulati said that while these findings are encouraging and consistent with the growing amount of evidence suggesting that tirzepatide provides benefits beyond just blood sugar management and weight loss, the most important question is how they affect overall health and long-term outcomes. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs evidence continues to emerge regarding heart health, kidney protection, weight management, and other potential benefits, ongoing research will help us optimize care and ensure that the right patients receive the greatest benefit from these therapies,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to see longer-term studies that help determine whether the cardiovascular benefits observed with tirzepatide are sustained over many years and whether they extend to broader patient populations, including those without established cardiovascular disease. Randomized studies will be important for us to have a better understanding of the potential benefits of tirzepatide.\u201d
\u2014 Sanjeev Kumar Gulati, MD, FACC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestA new study on the GLP-1 drug tirzepatide reveals heart health benefits for people with diabetes.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":809978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[97,243],"class_list":["post-809977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-health","tag-medication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/809977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=809977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/809977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/809978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=809977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=809977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=809977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}