Combined cardioprotective glucose-lowering drugs and statins in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and death - Danish nationwide studies in type 2 diabetes

PhD defence by Tummas Ternhamar

Assessment Committee

Professor Marianne Benn, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Dr Yunus Çolak, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte
Professor Thushara Matthias, Department of medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Supervisors

Professor Shoaib Afzal
Professor Børge Nordestgaard
MD, PhD Mia Østergaard Johansen

Department

Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme

Public Health and Epidemiology

Place

Herlev Hospital, Main entrance, Building 1, Room: Store Auditorium, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, 2730 Herlev

Email address to gain access to the thesis: Tummas.Ternhamar@regionh.dk

You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Lipid‑lowering with statins prevents ASCVD and is recommended in most people with diabetes. Over the past decade, cardioprotective glucose‑lowering drugs, including glucagon‑like peptide‑1 receptor agonists and sodium–glucose cotransporter‑2 inhibitors, have likewise been shown to reduce ASCVD risk. Whether concurrent use of statin and a cardioprotective glucose-lowering drug is associated with incremental reductions in ASCVD events and mortality beyond either drug alone is uncertain. The thesis explores this question using nationwide Danish register data.