The Study
Cardiorenal Outcomes With Tirzepatide Compared With Dulaglutide in Patients With Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
This study is like a fair race between two medicines to see which one helps people with diabetes and heart problems have fewer serious health problems. It found that one medicine (tirzepatide) seemed to help more, but we can't say it's the only reason why—other things might have played a role too.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested two diabetes drugs — one new (tirzepatide) and one older (dulaglutide) — to see which one better prevents heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and death in people with diabetes and heart disease.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 574 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — for every 27 people treated with tirzepatide instead of dulaglutide, one major heart or kidney problem was prevented.
- 2Over 4 years, 16% fewer people on tirzepatide had heart/kidney problems than those on dulaglutide.
- 3Tirzepatide lowered death risk by 16%, heart revascularization by 16%, and kidney disease by 21%.
- 4Stroke risk didn't change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
JAMA Cardiology
Year
2026
Authors
Steve E. Nissen, K. Wolski, D. D’Alessio, G. Weerakkody, J. Kiljański, R. Wiese, I. Pavo, B. Cariou, Stephen J. Nicholls
Related Content
Claims (6)
In patients with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, tirzepatide lowers the combined risk of serious heart and kidney events by 16% compared to dulaglutide.
In adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, tirzepatide is associated with a 16% lower risk of death from any cause over about four years compared to dulaglutide.
In adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease, tirzepatide and dulaglutide show similar rates of stroke over nearly four years of follow-up, with no statistically significant difference between the two drugs.
In adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, a weekly injection of tirzepatide lowers the risk of serious heart and kidney events—such as heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, or worsening kidney disease—by 16% compared to another drug called dulaglutide, when used for about 4 years.
In adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, tirzepatide lowers the combined risk of serious kidney outcomes—including worsening protein in the urine, significant decline in kidney function, need for dialysis, or death from kidney disease—by 21% compared to dulaglutide.
In adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease, tirzepatide is associated with a lower rate of procedures to reopen blocked heart arteries compared to dulaglutide, based on a study following patients for about 4 years.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.