Major adverse cardiovascular and renal events are reduced in patients with type 2 diabetes whose treatment includes GLP-1 receptor agonists, according to findings from the largest study of pooled data to date.

The systematic review and meta-analysis of seven trials covering 56,000 people showed that cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause deaths were reduced among those taking the antihyperglycaemics.

In addition, fatal or non-fatal stroke was reduced by 16%, composite major CV events by 12% and myocardial infarction by 9%.

“These benefits were obtained without an increase in risk of severe hypoglycaemia, pancreatic adverse effects or thyroid cancer,” noted the senior author Professor John McMurray from the British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Glasgow.