Common type 2 diabetes drug does not increase risk of heart disease, study suggests

The common type 2 diabetes drug Alogliptin does not increase the risk of heart disease or heart failure, according to new research.
The study, published in The Lancet, was based on an analysis of data from global clinical trial EXAMINE.
The researchers found that even type 2 diabetes patients who had previously experienced heart disease – which accounted for 28 per cent of the study’s participants – the risk was not increased.
The study goes against previous research on the topic. Previous findings have suggested that Alogliptin moderately increased the risk of heart failure in type 2 diabetes patients.
Alogliptin increases the body’s level of insulin production and inhibits the production of glucagon, making it easier for people with type 2 diabetes to avoid hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose levels. Alogliptin is usually take in addition to other type 2 diabetes drugs.
The findings are particularly significant because type 2 diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. Studies have indicated that 80 per cent of people with diabetes will die from heart-related health problems.
Dr. William White, professor of medicine and chief of the Calhoun Cardiology Centre Division of Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology at UConn Health, said: “This new analysis shows that Alogliptin was safe in patients with type 2 diabetes who we considered at high cardiovascular risk because they had an acute coronary syndrome before entering the trial.”