Ozempic and Jardiance may reduce risk of recurrent stroke: study

Stroke survivors can significantly reduce their risk of another stroke, heart attack or premature death by taking a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Jardiance, new preliminary research shows.

“Unfortunately, a quarter of people who survive a stroke will have another stroke,” said lead study author Dr. M. Ali Sheffeh. “You are also at risk for other cardiovascular events such as a heart attack, as many of the risk factors for stroke are also associated with other forms of heart disease.”

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel ruptures and leaks blood into the brain. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and obesity.

According to preliminary data, stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States last year, causing 162,600 deaths.

Sheffeh's team reviewed the records of more than 7,000 older adults who suffered a blood clot-related stroke between 2000 and 2022. Almost all patients had type 2 diabetes.

Over a three-year period, researchers tracked those who were prescribed either a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or an SGLT2 drug like Jardiance after their first stroke to determine whether they had a second stroke, suffered a heart attack or died.

GLP-1 drugs treat diabetes and stimulate weight loss by mimicking the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, which signals the body that it is full.

SGLT2 inhibitor drugs help control blood sugar levels by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing sugar.

Researchers found that those who took either drug had a 74% lower risk of early death and an 84% lower risk of a heart attack. SGLT2 users had a 67% lower risk of another stroke.

“The study's results are consistent with other research on the preventative effects of these drugs against cardiovascular disease in people with obesity or heart failure,” said Sheffeh, a research scientist at the Mayo Clinic.

The study authors note that GLP-1 drugs have been shown to lower blood pressure and help prevent hardening of the arteries, a major risk factor for stroke.

“GLP-1 [drugs] “can actually reduce the clumping of platelets, and that alone could reduce the risk of clotting and lead to a lower risk of stroke,” said Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, professor and associate director of research in the department of neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

“These drugs could be really important,” Bushnell added.

The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is scheduled to be presented at an American Heart Association conference in Chicago this month.

The study authors admit that 94% of participants identify as white adults and most live in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Therefore, it is unclear whether these results generalize to more diverse populations.