Do Certain Diabetes Medications Promote Heart Failure?

A comprehensive study of clinical trials that analyzed over 95,000 patients found that heart failure was common in those with type 2 diabetes.

The study, which was reported in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology as well as presented as at the 64th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in San Diego, CA, investigated randomized controlled trials of glucose-lowering medications.

After analyzing the data and calculating the heart failure risks for each kind of type 2 diabetes drug, researchers found that a heart failure “event” happened in 4 percent of patients during the individual trials while close to 10 percent experienced a major heart event such as a heart attack or stroke.

What Constitutes Heart Failure Exactly?

We all take our hearts for granted, yet despite this major oversight, they beat for us every second of every day for our entire lives. Our hearts are responsible for delivering nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to every cell in our body. If our cells don’t get this nourishment because of heart failure, our bodies cannot function properly.

Patients who have experienced heart failure find themselves tired and breathless often and find that daily activities they once used to do without even thinking about it, like walking and climbing stairs, become a challenge.

Although heart failure is a serious condition, it does not always suggest the heart has actually failed rather it has stopped pumping the blood around the body in an efficient way. The individual’s heart may be affected on the left or right side, and in some cases, both sides of the heart are affected at the same time.

Symptoms of heart failure are ultimately determined by which side has been affected (The American Heart Association states that the left side of the heart is generally affected first) and how severe the episode is. Unfortunately there is currently no cure for heart failure, but patients can receive treatments that will allow them to still enjoy a productive and meaningful life.

More Intensive Drugs are the Main Culprit

We know now that heart failure is a common condition in patients with type 2 diabetes but it seems the increase in cardiac events can be directly linked to some of the more intensive blood sugar-lowering drugs on the market.

Dr. Jacob Udell of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the University Health Network and the Women’s College Hospital, both in Toronto, and lead investigator during the study has said, “Patients randomized to new or more intensive blood sugar-lowering drugs or strategies to manage diabetes showed an overall 14% increased risk for heart failure.”

So it would seem that not all type 2 diabetes medications or therapies are created equal and patients should be made aware that some drugs and therapies are far more likely to cause heart failure than others.

Is Weight Loss the Better & Safer Treatment?

Dr. Michael Farkou, chair of the Peter Munk Centre of Excellence in Multinational Clinical Trials has pointed out, “While some drugs showed an increased risk, other strategies tested, such as intensive weight loss to control blood sugar, showed a trend towards a lower risk for heart failure.”

According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the United States is in the midst of what they call “twin epidemics,” namely obesity and diabetes. By now it is common knowledge that obesity is a major contributing factor for developing type 2 diabetes. What’s not common knowledge is the fact that more than 90% of type 2 diabetics are overweight or obese. That is a startling figure.

Studies have shown that individuals who lose weight, either through natural means or through bariatric surgery, have seen their diabetes completely disappear. Their blood sugars have normalized and they were able to stop taking their medication(s).

The Entire Healthcare Industry Feels the Pain

Though weight loss seems to be a highly effective (and potentially safer treatment) for type 2 diabetes, for now, a majority of patients will most likely turn to the latest and greatest drugs to manage their blood sugar levels, and we are likely to see a rise of cardiac incidents as a result, which is not only bad news for the individual patients but for healthcare costs which will also increase.

It is estimated that about 5.1 million people in the U.S. have heart failure, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that costs related to the condition total $32 billion (with a B) each year.

Dr. Barry Rubin, medical director of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at University Health Network, points out, “The results of this study could prove to be the catalyst for how diabetes patients at risk for heart disease are managed moving forward.”

Wouldn’t it be great if some day there were a tool that could completely reverse every single symptom of diabetes and do it in a matter of days?

One medical expert says this is not only possible, but that patients can do it without needing to take any potentially harmful medication that could cause heart failure.

Sound too good to be true?

In the free video on the very next page, he outlines the details of this diabetes-reversing protocol and even gives specific steps so you can try the protocol for yourself.