Context

Despite the treatments available for type 2 diabetes, about two-thirds of these patients die from associated heart disease or stroke.1 Approval of the first glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1), exenatide, by the FDA in 2005 generated an expectation that the clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes would be improved. However, we still do not have definitive evidence that exenatide does this, although a clinical trial to determine this, the Exenatide Study of Cardiovascular Even Lowering (EXSCEL) trial, is under way.2 Subsequently, other GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide, have also been approved and used for 10 years without clinical outcome data.3 Recently, the results of Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes …