Stroke survivors can significantly lower their risk of another stroke, heart attack or premature death by taking a diabetes drug like Ozempic or Jardiance, a new preliminary study finds.
“Unfortunately, a quarter of people who survive a stroke will have another,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. M. Ali Sheffeh. “They are also at risk for other cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, as many of the risk factors for a stroke are also associated with other forms of heart disease.”
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel ruptures, leaking blood into the brain. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and obesity.
Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the US last year, accounting for 162,600 deaths, according to preliminary data.
Sheffeh’s team looked at data on more than 7,000 older adults who experienced a stroke caused by a clot between 2000 and 2022. Almost all patients had type 2 diabetes.
Over three years, researchers tracked those who were given a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or an SGLT2 drug like Jardiance after their initial stroke to see if they had a second stroke, suffered a heart attack or died.
GLP-1 drugs treat diabetes and stimulate weight loss by mimicking the natural GLP-1 hormone, which signals the body that it is full.
SGLT2 inhibitor medications help manage blood sugar levels by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing sugar.
The researchers found that those who took either medication had a 74% lower risk of early death and an 84% reduced risk of a heart attack. SGLT2 users had a 67% lower risk of another stroke.
“The results of the study are consistent with other research about the preventive role of these drugs against cardiovascular disease in people with obesity or heart failure,” said Sheffeh, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic.
The study authors point out that GLP-1 drugs have been shown to lower blood pressure and help prevent hardening of the arteries, a major risk factor for strokes.
“GLP-1 [drugs] it can actually reduce the aggregation of blood platelets, and that, in itself, can reduce the risk of clotting and lead to a lower risk of stroke,” said Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, professor and vice president of research at department of neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
“These medications can be really important,” Bushnell added.
The research, which has not been peer-reviewed, will be presented this month at an American Heart Association conference in Chicago.
The study authors acknowledge that 94% of participants identified as white adults and most lived in Minnesota or Wisconsin, so it’s unclear whether these results translate to more diverse populations.
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