Overview
- Preliminary analysis indicates that combining GLP-1 receptor agonists with multiple healthy lifestyle habits is associated with larger reductions in major cardiovascular events than medication alone.
- Among people using GLP-1 drugs who practiced six or more healthy habits, the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death was about 50% lower versus nonusers with three or fewer habits.
- Adherence to all eight measured lifestyle habits corresponded to a 63% lower risk compared with adherence to one or fewer habits.
- Use of a GLP-1 medication alone was linked to roughly a 20% lower risk of a major cardiovascular event compared with nonuse.
- The study followed 63,656 veterans from 2011 to September 30, 2023, recording 6,191 events over about 418,513 person-years, and authors cautioned that the observational design and predominantly white male cohort limit generalizability as the results are presented at AHA 2025.