Can diabetes drugs cause heart disease? Find out
| Updated: Dec 26, 2018, 11:50 IST
A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open showed that patients who take certain drugs for diabetes are 36 percent more likely and twice as likely to experience cardiovascular harm. Let us elaborate...
This new study warns about the use of two drugs - sulfonylureas and basal insulin - used to treat Type-2 diabetes. They carry a high risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure or amputation. "People should know if the medications they are taking to treat their diabetes could lead to serious cardiovascular harm. This calls for a paradigm shift in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes," said lead author Matthew O'Brien, Assistant Professor from the Northwestern University in the US.
The two drugs - sulfonylureas and basal insulin - are the second-line medication after metformin, a widely accepted initial Type-2 diabetes treatment. The study suggests that doctors should prescribe newer classes of antidiabetic medications, such as GLP-1 agonists (liraglutide), SGLT-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin)or DPP-4 inhibitors (sitagliptin), more routinely after metformin, rather than sulfonylureas or basal insulin.
This new study warns about the use of two drugs - sulfonylureas and basal insulin - used to treat Type-2 diabetes. They carry a high risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure or amputation. "People should know if the medications they are taking to treat their diabetes could lead to serious cardiovascular harm. This calls for a paradigm shift in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes," said lead author Matthew O'Brien, Assistant Professor from the Northwestern University in the US.
The two drugs - sulfonylureas and basal insulin - are the second-line medication after metformin, a widely accepted initial Type-2 diabetes treatment. The study suggests that doctors should prescribe newer classes of antidiabetic medications, such as GLP-1 agonists (liraglutide), SGLT-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin)or DPP-4 inhibitors (sitagliptin), more routinely after metformin, rather than sulfonylureas or basal insulin.