Diabetes drugs lower heart disease risk, raise gastro, arthritic disorders, study suggests
GLP-1RA, or glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, are drugs that work by mimicking the action of the hormone GLP-1 that helps control blood sugar and promote feelings of satiety.
Shearly Tabitha
NEW DELHI: Commonly used diabetes drugs could lower the risk of cardiometabolic conditions but heighten the risk of gastrointestinal and arthritic ones, hypotension, among others, according to a study.
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis analysed data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs to examine links between taking 'GLP-1RA' drugs and 175 health outcomes. Data from 2.4 million participants with diabetes were analysed.
GLP-1RA, or glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, are drugs that work by mimicking the action of the hormone GLP-1 that helps control blood sugar and promote feelings of satiety. Through weight management, the drugs can also treat type 2 diabetes.
While the GLP1-RA class of drugs have become popular for weight loss, their effectiveness is also being evaluated for a wider range of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea, the researchers said.
However, previous studies have reported adverse effects of these drugs, such as thoughts of committing suicide and gastrointestinal complications.
In this study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, about half of the 2.4 million participants continued the use of non-GLP-1RA drugs, such as sulfonylureas and SGLT2 inhibitors, while the rest were initiated with GLP-1RA.
The authors found the anti-obesity drugs to be associated with a decreased risk for 42 health outcomes and an increased risk of 19.
"Compared to usual care, GLP-1RA use was associated with a reduced risk of substance use and psychotic disorders, seizures, neurocognitive disorders (including Alzheimer's disease and dementia), coagulation disorders, cardiometabolic disorders, infectious illnesses and several respiratory conditions," the authors wrote.
"There was an increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders, hypotension, syncope (low blood pressure), arthritic disorders, nephrolithiasis, interstitial nephritis and drug-induced pancreatitis associated with GLP-1RA use compared to usual care," they wrote.
The findings could help describe the broad health effects of GLP-1RAs, the authors said but added that further research is needed to confirm results in other cohorts, including more diverse ones.
