on PinterestCombining GLP-1 drugs with a healthy lifestyle may reduce cardiovascular risks in people with diabetes.
on PinterestCombining GLP-1 drugs with a healthy lifestyle may reduce cardiovascular risks in people with diabetes. Image Credit: Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images
- A recent study found that people with type 2 diabetes who used GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in combination with healthy lifestyle habits had a reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.
- The findings show that GLP-1 RAs, when combined with healthy habits, independently improved heart health, though to varying degrees.
- The researchers noted that lifestyle interventions remain pivotal in diabetes management and can amplify the benefits of GLP-1 RAs.
Type 2 diabetes is a growing health concern in the United States, overlapping with the obesity epidemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. That is an estimated 12% of the population.
According to research from 2017, the prevalence of diabetes will increase by 54% by 2030. This is an estimated 54.9 million people.
Type 2 diabetes can lead to various complications, including cardiovascular disease. This is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes.
A recent study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology found that a combination of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and healthy lifestyle habits can reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with type 2 diabetes.
“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,” Frank Hu, MD, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and corresponding author of the study, said in a press release.
GLP-1s and 6 healthy habits lower cardiovasculr risk by 43%
The study used data from the Veterans Affairs’ Million Veteran Program from 2011 to 2023.
The researchers looked at the lifestyle habits, GLP-1 RA usage, and cardiovascular outcomes of over 98,000 adults who had type 2 diabetes and no previous history of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers considered 8 healthy habits:
- healthy diet
- regular exercise
- not smoking
- restful sleep
- minimal alcohol consumption
- good stress management
- social connection and support
- not having opioid use disorder
The MACEs they considered were:
- non-fatal stroke
- myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- cardiovascular death
The study found that using a GLP-1 RA and maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly reduced the risk for MACE.
“We know that GLP-1 receptor agonists can improve cardiovascular health in patients with diabetes. We also know that good lifestyle habits such as eating [a] heart-healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and getting enough quality sleep, are all beneficial in controlling the risk factors that lead to heart disease,” Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who was not involved in the study, told Healthline.
“It is thus not surprising that combining both GLP-1 receptor agonists and healthy lifestyle modifications can have additive beneficial effects.”
Individuals who used a GLP-1
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