Tirzepatide versus Dulaglutide in Preventing Cardiovascular Disease
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on January 26th, 2026
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Usage of GLP-1 agonists had become very common as a means to control body weight, manage diabetes, and prevent other obesity-related health complications. Some of these complications are cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke. With funding from Eli Lilly, a study was conducted to compare tirzepatide to dulaglutide in preventing cardiovascular disease.
The clinical trial enrolled more than 13 thousands participants with an average age of 64 years old who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At baseline these participants had a mean body mass index of 32.6 and a glycated hemoglobin level of 8.4%. The patients were randomly assigned to be treated subcutaneously with either 15 mg of tirzepatide or 1.5 mg of dulaglutide once a week. Both medications act as agonists on the Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor; however, tirzepatide is more effective due to its simultaneous activity on the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor.
After a median follow-up period of 4 years, the researchers found that there was no significant difference in the risk of death due to myocardial infarction or stroke between patients treated with tirzepatide and dulaglutide. In depth analysis found that tirzepatide was more effective at reducing glycated hemoglobin level, body weight, triglyceride level and systolic blood pressure. Additionally, patients treated with tirzepatide experienced less reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate.
The clinical trial enrolled more than 13 thousands participants with an average age of 64 years old who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At baseline these participants had a mean body mass index of 32.6 and a glycated hemoglobin level of 8.4%. The patients were randomly assigned to be treated subcutaneously with either 15 mg of tirzepatide or 1.5 mg of dulaglutide once a week. Both medications act as agonists on the Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor; however, tirzepatide is more effective due to its simultaneous activity on the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor.
After a median follow-up period of 4 years, the researchers found that there was no significant difference in the risk of death due to myocardial infarction or stroke between patients treated with tirzepatide and dulaglutide. In depth analysis found that tirzepatide was more effective at reducing glycated hemoglobin level, body weight, triglyceride level and systolic blood pressure. Additionally, patients treated with tirzepatide experienced less reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate.