Januvia deemed safe for people with type 2 diabetes at risk of heart problems, study says

[DCUK NewsBot]

A commonly prescribed drug to treat type 2 diabetes drug called Januvia (sitagliptin) is safe for use in older people who may be at risk of cardiovascular problems, a study reports. People with type 2 diabetes are more prone to suffer from cardiovascular problems because of an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. In this new analysis, researchers at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes found sitagliptin, a relatively new drug, raised "no significant safety concerns" in people with type 2 diabetes. The study, entitled TECOS (Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin), collected data from more than 14,000 people aged 50 years or over who had type 2 diabetes and a history of cardiovascular problems. The researchers focused on 14 per cent of the participants who were aged 75 and in the oldest age group. The group had HbA1c levels of at least 6.5% but not higher than 8%. "Among older patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, sitagliptin had neutral effects on cardiovascular risk and raised no significant safety concerns," said the authors. Sitagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor which helps to increase insulin in the body by decreasing the amount of sugar. It is usually taken alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, and can be used alongside other type 2 diabetes drugs such as metformin. Cardiovascular disease is caused when blood vessels are damaged which can be caused by smoking, high sugar levels or unbalanced cholesterol. That is why it is important people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition by exercising and eating healthily. The findings have been published in the Diabetes Care journal.

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