A recent study indicates that Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and severe obesity, may significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks in patients with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease. The research, which was published in The BMJ, analyzed data from nearly 53,000 individuals who had started treatment with either Mounjaro or sitagliptin, another commonly prescribed diabetes drug.
The study tracked the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), a composite measure that includes heart attacks, strokes, and all-cause mortality, over a period of one year. Findings showed that patients receiving Mounjaro experienced a 2.9% risk of MACE, compared to 4.4% among those treated with sitagliptin. This difference translates to preventing one major cardiovascular event for approximately every 70 patients treated with Mounjaro.
Specifically, the use of Mounjaro was associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of heart attacks compared to sitagliptin. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding stroke rates. The study also noted additional benefits associated with Mounjaro, including a reduction in hospital admissions related to infections—where one admission was prevented for every 48 patients treated—and a decrease in deaths from any cause, with one death averted for every 122 patients.
Researchers emphasized that these findings, derived from real-world clinical practice and anchored in trial data, suggest that tirzepatide could provide cardiovascular benefits beyond standard diabetes treatments. They highlighted the importance of this evidence in informing clinical decision-making and shared discussions between patients and healthcare providers.
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, which manufactures Mounjaro, recently reported that global sales of the drug more than doubled in the first half of 2026, reaching £13.8 billion. The company has also introduced Foundayo, an oral obesity drug, which earned £73 million in revenue during the initial months post-approval.
While the study presents promising results for the cardiovascular benefits of Mounjaro in type 2 diabetes patients with heart disease, it is important to consider the full clinical context when evaluating treatment options, as no significant advantage was observed for stroke prevention. Further research may continue to clarify the broader implications of tirzepatide therapy in this patient population.