United States: A new study which already shows that stroke survivors which can mainly reduce their chances of having another stroke or heart attack by taking certain diabetes medicines, like Ozempic or Jardiance. About one in four stroke survivors will have another stroke, and many are also at risk for heart problems. The study found these medications can help lower those risks and keep people healthier.
A stroke can be already defined as a disease of the brain caused by a blockage of blood supply to the brain or the burst of a blood vessel which also lead to leaks into the brain. Including elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high glucose levels and obesity, said lead author Sheffeh.
As reported by the nypost, using data on over 7,000 patients who had an ischemic stroke caused by a clot in the age of 70 or older between 2000 and 2022, Sheffeh and the team cross-referenced patient records. In general, all the patients of the sample had Type 2 diabetes.
The researchers followed groups of patients who were prescribed a GLP-1 like Ozempic or an SGLT2 medication like Jardiance following their first stroke to see if they had another stroke, a heart attack, or died over three years.
GLP-1 drugs control diabetes, and already has the effect of reducing appetite as they are in fact manufactured to imitate the hormone GLP-1 which is naturally produced in the body to tell the stomach that it is full.
SGLT2 inhibitors are drugs that are used to control diabetes because they are incapable of reabsorbing sugars in the kidneys.
The researchers were discovered to have 74% lower chances of early death and an 84% reduced chance of a heart attack if they took the drug. SGLT2 users also we reduced the likelihood of any other form of stroke by 67%[keywords: SGLT2, stroke, users.
More to the point, the authors of the study show that drugs belonging to the GLP-1 class have been demonstrated to have blood pressure reducing effects and to slow the development of arterial stiffness a significant stroke predictor.
“These small molecules known as GLP-1 [drugs] can actually decrease clumping of blood platelets, and that, in itself could decrease risk of clotting and lead to lower risk of stroke,” says Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, professor and vice chairman of research in department of neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
“These medications could be really important,” Bushnell added
“The findings of the study agree with prior research on the protective effects of these medications against cardiovascular disease in patients with obesity or heart failure,” explained Sheffeh, a research scholar at the Mayo Clinic.