A recent study indicates that tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, could reduce the risk of heart attack by 33% for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, opening new avenues for diabetes treatment strategies.
A new United States study suggests Mounjaro may do more than lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: it may also cut the risk of heart attack. Researchers writing in The BMJ found that patients given tirzepatide, the drug’s active ingredient, had a 33% lower risk of heart attack than those treated with sitagliptin, a diabetes medicine with a different mode of action.
The analysis drew on data from almost 53,000 patients who had both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Over the course of follow-up, the researchers tracked major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke and death from any cause. After one year, 2.9% of patients who started tirzepatide had experienced such an event, compared with 4.4% of those on sitagliptin. The authors estimated that this translated into one major cardiovascular event being prevented for every 70 patients treated with tirzepatide.
The clearest signal was seen in heart attack rates, while the study did not find a meaningful difference in stroke. It also suggested fewer hospital admissions for infections and a lower death rate overall among people taking tirzepatide. The researchers said the findings may help doctors and patients weigh the drug’s possible cardiovascular benefits alongside standard diabetes treatment.
The results add to growing interest in GLP-1 drugs, a class of medicines that includes tirzepatide and semaglutide. But the broader evidence remains mixed. Two BMJ reviews published in July 2026 found that obesity drugs, including tirzepatide, can produce substantial weight loss, yet they did not clearly improve quality of life or reduce cardiovascular risk over one year. Those reviews also pointed to side effects, including gastrointestinal problems and loss of lean muscle mass, which can lead some patients to stop treatment. Earlier BMJ reporting also highlighted cardiovascular benefits seen with semaglutide in people without diabetes, underscoring why clinicians are still trying to define where these drugs help most and where caution is needed.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
