Commonly used type 2 diabetes medication linked to higher rate of heart-related conditions

New research from investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests that a commonly used type 2 diabetes medication is linked to a higher rate of heart-related conditions compared to medications that hit other targets. The study examined nationwide data from nearly 50,000 patients treated with different sulfonylureas and found that glipizide – the most widely used drug in the U.S. within this category – was linked to higher incidence of heart failure, related hospitalization and death compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. Results are published inJAMA Network Open.

Patients with type 2 diabetes are at heightened risk of adverse cardiovascular incidents such as stroke and cardiac arrest. 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."

Alexander Turchin, MD, MS, corresponding author of the Division of Endocrinology at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH)

Turchin and co-authors emulated a target trial by analyzing electronic health records and insurance claims data from the BESTMED consortium. The cohort included 48,165 patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate cardiovascular risk who received care at 10 different study sites across the country, including BWH, as well as those covered by two different national health insurance plans.

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% increase in cardiovascular risk when compared to DPP4i, while glimepiride and glyburide led to relatively smaller and less clear effects, respectively. The authors propose that further research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

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