A study examining the potential risks of heart failure associated with diabetes medications found that two medications pose varying risks to patients. The diabetes treatment Januvia (sitagliptin) carried no increased risk of heart failure, while Onglyza (saxagliptin), a drug in the same class as sitagliptin, carried an increased risk of heart failure.

The trial to Evaluate Cardiovascular Outcomes after Treatment with Sitagliptin, or TECOS, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study examined previous concerns that certain diabetes medications, including Januvia and Onglyza, were causing patients to suffer from heart problems.

14,671 patients were involved in the diabetes medication study. All patients had existing heart problems and had been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes for over ten years. The study revealed that those who took Januvia did not have an increased risk of heart failure or other cardiovascular side effects, when compared to participants who took a placebo.

“Given the size of our study, the long duration of follow-up, as well as the higher risk of our population, we feel that this very adequately addresses and puts to bed the questions that there is any risk for heart failure with [Januvia],” said Dr. Eric Peterson, cochair of the trial.

Researchers compared the TECOS outcome to another study that examined Onglyza heart failure, called the SAVOR TIMI-53 study. In the SAVOR study, researchers found that Onglyza increased the risk of heart problems. 

Onglyza Heart Failure

Onglyza and Januvia are diabetes medications that belong to the class of drugs called incretin mimetics. These drugs cause the pancreas to create more insulin, which helps manage the blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.

Although Onglyza may have initially seemed promising, many patients have experienced cases of Onglyza heart failure and other side effects that the drug’s manufactures did not warn against. Onglyza has also allegedly caused multiple patients to develop pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid cancer.

While the SAVOR study found a strong connection between Onglyza and heart problems, the study’s authors determined that more research was required. The FDA, on the other hand, determined that the study’s results were enough to require the drug’s manufacturers to add a warning on the drug’s packaging regarding possible Onglyza heart side effect.

Some patients who have suffered adverse side effects have filed Onglyza lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturers. These lawsuits may help patients win compensation for medical costs and lost wages, as well punish the manufacturers for engaging in false advertising and failing to warn patients of potential risks. Surviving family members may also file wrongful death lawsuits if the diabetes medication caused the early death of a loved one.