Stopping GLP-1 Drugs Doubles Heart Risk
An Italian study of people with type 2 diabetes links discontinuing GLP-1 treatment to roughly twice the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Diabetes
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Researchers analysing electronic medical records from more than 300 diabetes clinics throughout Italy found that people with type 2 diabetes who stopped taking GLP-1 drugs had about twice the risk of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or death from any cause. The study was published in the Lancet Regional Health - Europe journal.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that the cardiovascular benefits associated with GLP-1 drugs may depend on continued treatment rather than a short course. Because the study was observational and did not account for why patients stopped, the results point to an association that warrants further investigation.
The study analysed more than 80,000 people with type 2 diabetes on GLP-1 drugs, with those who stopped showing about 4 strokes or heart attacks per 100 people per year compared with about 2 per 100 among those who continued. The study did not account for the reasons patients discontinued treatment, leaving open whether the drug itself or other factors explain the gap.
The players
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
A large National Health Service hospital trust in London that operates several major teaching hospitals and contributed researchers to the study.
The details
Patients who continued GLP-1 treatment took the drug for nearly three years on average, while those who stopped had taken it for just over one year. Risks appeared higher among people who stopped treatment and were still obese, and the research team included experts from Italy and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London.
Timeline
Nearly three years: average GLP-1 treatment duration for patients who continued.
Just over one year: average GLP-1 treatment duration for patients who stopped.
Health Landscape
Observational studies of this kind draw on routine clinical records rather than randomised trials, a method used increasingly to assess how GLP-1 drugs perform in everyday practice. The Italian findings add to a growing body of real-world evidence on whether the cardiovascular protection associated with these drugs depends on sustained use.
Patients taking GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes should discuss any plan to stop treatment with their clinician, since the study associates discontinuation with higher cardiovascular risk. Weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol management remain part of the overall approach to reducing that risk.
The takeaway
Patients on GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes should not stop treatment without talking to their doctor, because this observational study linked discontinuation to a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events. Ongoing monitoring of weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol remains important whichever treatment is used.
Further reading
Explore more on Diabetes to see how treatment choices shape long-term outcomes.
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