Advances and Future Directions in GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes: Efficacy, Safety and Cardiometabolic Benefits
Author(s): Abdulkadir Abdu, Hossamaldeen Bakrey, Israa Abdelrahim, Zeinab Awad, Yassir Abubakar Fikak, Tambe Daniel Atem, Angima Kibari Justine, Mazin Aboobaida Abdalla Abdelaziz and Lina Eltaib
The present review thoroughly evaluates the long-term safety, efficacy and cardiovascular outcomes of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study was performed in major biomedical databases including PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. The search strategy combined keywords terms related to GLP-1 receptor agonists, type 2 diabetes, safety, efficacy, cardiovascular outcomes and clinical trials. A comprehensive review of clinical trials, meta-analyses and safety reports demonstrates that GLP-1 receptor agonists (RAs) produce significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, ranging from 0.8% to 1.5%, along with substantial weight loss of 2–6 kg. In addition to controlling blood sugar, research shows that GLP-1 RAs can protect the kidneys and improve heart health. Also, it consistently lower major adverse cardiovascular events and cause mortality in high-risk patients. However, combination regimens incorporating insulin, sulfonylureas or SGLT2 inhibitors significantly improve glycemic control and weight outcomes without a notable rise in adverse events. Even though cardiovascular outcome trials are different from each other, the overall evidence supports the use of GLP-1 RAs as a key part of modern T2DM treatment. Subsequent investigations to emphasize long-term renal safety, biomarker driven individualized therapy and the preparation of novel formulations stratagies to enhance clinical outcomes and recommended customized patient care.