Study links common diabetes drug with cardiovascular risk

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) A commonly used type 2 diabetes medication in the US -- Glipizide -- may be linked to a higher rate of heart-related conditions, claimed a study.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham examined nationwide data from nearly 50,000 patients treated with different sulfonylureas. They found that glipizide was linked to a higher incidence of heart failure, related hospitalisation, and death compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open.

“Patients with type 2 diabetes are at heightened risk of adverse cardiovascular incidents such as stroke and cardiac arrest,” said corresponding author Alexander Turchin, Division of Endocrinology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).

“While sulfonylureas are popular and affordable diabetes medications, there is a lack of long-term clinical data on how they affect cardiac health in comparison to more neutral alternatives like dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors,” he added.

Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic disease whose prevalence continues to grow worldwide. Individuals with Type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, including coronary ischemia, stroke, and heart failure. Mitigation of cardiovascular risk is therefore an important aspect of the treatment of diabetes.

The study included 48,165 patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate cardiovascular risk who received care at 10 different study sites across the country.

The researchers studied the five-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients treated with different sulfonylureas (glimepiride, glipizide, or glyburide) or DPP4i in addition to metformin, a primary diabetes medication.

They found that glipizide was associated with a 13 per cent increase in cardiovascular risk when compared to DPP4i, while glimepiride and glyburide led to relatively smaller and less clear effects, respectively.

“Our study underscores the importance of evaluating each drug in a particular pharmacological class on its own merits,” said Turchin.

The team also called for further research to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

--IANS

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