Stopping GLP-1 treatment could double risk of heart attack, stroke, or death, study finds

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A study of more than 80,000 people with type 2 diabetes and no prior cardiovascular disease found that stopping GLP-1 treatment was associated with roughly twice the combined risk of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or death compared with continuing treatment. The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, underline the potential risks associated with discontinuing the medication.

Stopping a GLP-1 treatment was linked to twice the combined risk of heart attack, stroke, or death for some people with type 2 diabetes, a study finds.Previous research indicated that glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists can reduce heart attacks, strokes, and death in people with type 2 diabetes, but up to half of patients stop treatment within the first year.Researchers from Europe and the United States examined data from more than 80 000 patients with type 2 diabetes and with no history of cardiovascular disease, comparing medical records and use of GLP-1 treatments.Publishing their findings in the Lancet Regional Health Europe, the authors found that the combined risk of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or death from any cause was about twice as high (incidence rate ratio 2.01 (95% confidence interval 1.77 to 2.28)) in people who stopped GLP-1 treatment as in those who continued.1This equates to roughly four events...