Weight loss jabs linked to reduced cardiovascular risk in diabetes patients

Weight loss jabs may cut heart risk in people with type 2 diabetes, especially when combined with healthy lifestyle habits, according to research involving more than 98,000 adults.

People with type 2 diabetes who used GLP-1 receptor agonists, medicines commonly prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, had fewer serious heart-related events when they also followed healthy lifestyle habits.

GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking a hormone that helps control blood sugar and appetite, improving insulin release and slowing digestion.

The study analysed data from more than 98,000 adults with type 2 diabetes who had no previous cardiovascular disease between 2011 and 2023.

Researchers assessed participants’ lifestyle habits across eight areas including diet, exercise, smoking, sleep, alcohol intake, stress management, social connection and support, and the absence of opioid use disorder.

The analysis focused on major adverse cardiovascular events, known as MACE, a medical term describing serious outcomes such as non-fatal stroke, myocardial infarction, or death caused by cardiovascular disease.

More than 13,000 participants used a GLP-1 receptor agonist during the study period.

People who used a GLP-1 drug and followed six to eight healthy habits had a 43 per cent lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared with those who used no GLP-1 drug and followed three or fewer healthy habits.

Healthy habits alone were also linked with lower risk. Participants who followed all eight healthy habits had a 60 per cent lower risk compared with those who followed one or fewer.

Using a GLP-1 drug alone was associated with a 16 per cent lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared with people who did not take the medication.

The research was led by investigators at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System.

“Our findings underscore that, even in the era of highly effective GLP-1 pharmacotherapy, lifestyle habits remain central to diabetes management and cardiovascular risk reduction and can substantially amplify the benefits of modern medications,” said Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology and chair of the department of nutrition.

“From a public health perspective, the results underscore the continued importance of population-level investments and policy in promoting healthy diet, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection, even in a modern drug era,” he said.

“As novel therapies expand, scalable lifestyle interventions remain essential for reducing the overall burden of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases.”

Researchers noted that the study had limitations because it relied on observational data, meaning residual confounding by socioeconomic status and other factors may still influence the results, although these variables were considered in the analysis.

They also noted that most participants were white male veterans, which may limit how widely the findings apply to the wider population, although results were broadly consistent across racial and ethnic groups and between men and women.