The diabetes and weight loss drug tirzepatide cut the risk of death by 62% in patients who had undergone a common heart procedure, according to new research presented at a major cardiology conference.
The findings come from two studies shared at the SCAI 2026 Scientific Sessions in Montreal from April 23 to 25. Neither study has yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, but both suggest tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, delivers cardiovascular benefits that go well beyond blood sugar control and weight loss.
The first study focused on patients with type 2 diabetes who were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, a procedure used to open blocked arteries. Researchers from John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago pulled data from the TriNetX database and compared outcomes in patients who received tirzepatide against those taking dulaglutide, an older GLP-1 medication. Among those receiving tirzepatide, the risk of death was 62% lower.
The second study examined patients with obesity who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, a procedure to replace a narrowed heart valve without open-chest surgery. Researchers found that tirzepatide use was again associated with meaningfully better outcomes, extending the drug's apparent cardiovascular benefits into a second high-risk interventional setting.
Tirzepatide works by activating two hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1, which together help regulate blood sugar and appetite. Researchers have suggested the drug's ability to promote weight loss and improve metabolic function accounts for much of the cardiovascular benefit. But the new studies are among the first to examine how those benefits translate specifically for patients undergoing interventional heart procedures.
"GLP-1 agonists represent an important evolution in cardiometabolic care," said SCAI President Srihari Naidu, an interventional cardiologist. "We are now beginning to understand how these therapies can improve outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter cardiovascular interventions."
Kevin Shah, a cardiologist and program director of Heart Failure Outreach at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center, called the findings consistent with the broader picture emerging from tirzepatide research. "These medications are not just weight loss drugs but have meaningful cardiometabolic benefits," he said, while also noting that prospective studies are needed to validate the results.
The research adds to a growing body of evidence that GLP-1 drugs may be reshaping treatment options for patients who face the highest cardiovascular risks. For clinicians managing patients with both metabolic disease and serious heart conditions, these findings are likely to factor into prescribing decisions even before peer-reviewed publication.