A drug initially created for type 2 diabetes it could help combat heart problems and obesity: one explains it Italian studycoordinated by the professor Giuseppe Paolisso (professor at the UniCamillus University of Rome and the Vanvitelli University of Naples) and published on Cardiovascular Diabetology. The drug is called tirzepatide (Tzt) and has been launched in the United States, but is not yet available in Italy.
From diabetes to the heart
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Tirzepatide was designed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but as explained by Professor Paolisso it is also associated with important benefits for the heart and obesity: “In our study we highlight that the cardioprotective effects of Tzt are action-related anti-inflammatory and counteracts oxidative stress and cardiac fibrosis. Tirzepatide is a new drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes which, however, is also associated with notable anti-obesity and protective effects against diabetes-induced heart disease.”
The beneficial effects on the heart
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The benefits for the heart were described by a note from UniCamillus of Rome: “Tirzepatide reduces the chances of serious cardiovascular events, protecting cardiac cells from hypertrophy, fibrosis and cell death. Furthermore, it promotes cardiac contractility.” The fact that it is an anti-diabetic drug is an added advantagethe scholars explain, since “diabetic subjects are exposed to a greater risk of developing cardiovascular complications, including heart failure”.
The future
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Professor Paolisso also explained that this drug could replace semaglutidethe active ingredient of Ozempic, the main existing anti-diabetes drug: “Tzt could soon become the most effective principle for treating obesity and diabetesas well as to prevent cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death in type 2 diabetic patients.”
