Diabetes & Heart Failure

New kidney disease drug may cut heart attack risk

A study found that finerenone (brand name Kerendia), a medication that works by blocking a specific hormone receptor involved in kidney damage, helped slow the progression of chronic kidney disease and reduced serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes across a wide range of patients — not just those with diabetes. Researchers pooled data from over 14,500 participants across three studies to reach these findings, making this a broader look at how the drug performs than what was previously known. This appears to be new evidence expanding our understanding of who might benefit from this treatment option.

New guidelines link heart, kidney, and diabetes risks

According to the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American Diabetes Association, and American Society of Nephrology guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes often face overlapping risks involving the heart, kidneys, and metabolism — and these guidelines are designed to help doctors manage all of those risks together rather than treating each one separately. This matters because heart disease and kidney disease are closely connected to diabetes, meaning addressing them as a group can lead to better overall care. These guidelines are intended to give doctors — including heart specialists, diabetes specialists, kidney specialists, and primary care providers — a shared, up-to-date approach to protecting their patients' health.

Plant-based eating may cut heart disease risk

This research combined data from 23 studies and found that people with type 2 diabetes — and adults generally — who closely followed the Planetary Health Diet (an eating pattern built around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes like beans and lentils, and nuts, with little red meat or processed food) had about 17–18% lower chances of death or serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes. The benefit wasn't all-or-nothing: meaningful risk reductions appeared once people reached a moderate-to-high level of the diet, suggesting that gradually eating more plants and less processed meat — even starting with one meal today — may matter. The researchers note these studies show a strong link but can't yet prove the diet directly causes these better outcomes, so this is promising but not the final word.

Generic Diabetes Drug Now Available

The FDA announced the approval of the first generic versions of Farxiga, a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana that helps people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar control. This type of medication works by helping the kidneys remove extra sugar from the body through urine. This approval means a lower-cost version of the drug may now be available as an option for patients to discuss with their doctor.

Plant-Based Diet May Help Your Heart Health

A study found that eating more plant-based foods — like vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains — while cutting back on red meat and processed meat may help improve heart health in people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers found this shift in eating habits was linked to a lower chance of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes. The findings suggest that what people put on their plate regularly can make a meaningful difference for their heart over time.

30 Minutes of Exercise Weekly May Transform Your Health

Ultra-Processed Foods May Raise Heart Disease Risk

Researchers found that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods — things like packaged snacks, fast food, sugary drinks, and ready-made meals that are made in factories with added sugars, unhealthy fats, salt, and artificial ingredients — is consistently linked to higher risks of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, obesity, and death in people with type 2 diabetes and in the general population. These foods tend to be low in fiber and nutrients, which may make blood sugar control harder for people with diabetes. The researchers note that scientists are still working to fully understand exactly how and why these foods affect heart health.

Do routine health checks actually prevent heart disease?

Researchers looked at whether routine 'health check' programmes — where adults get screened for things like high blood pressure or risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes — actually help people stay healthier in countries where healthcare is free at the point of use. The idea is that catching these risks early, including in people with type 2 diabetes, might allow doctors to step in sooner and potentially prevent serious illness down the line. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.

Diabetes Drug May Protect Kidneys in Heart Disease Patients

This research looks at empagliflozin (brand name Jardiance), a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana, and what it does for the kidneys of people who have type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease. Pulling together 13 studies and over 36,000 patients, researchers found that people taking Jardiance had a meaningfully lower chance of their kidney disease getting worse compared to those taking a placebo (a dummy pill with no active medicine). This is a strengthened safety and benefit update — it adds to growing evidence that Jardiance may help protect the kidneys in people who already have heart disease, which is a group that often faces higher kidney risks.

New Combo Pill May Make Diabetes Management Easier

Researchers found that a combination medication called dapagliflozin and saxagliptin — which combines a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana with a diabetes medication like Januvia into a single tablet — has been approved by the FDA. This means people with type 2 diabetes may have access to a new option that combines two different blood sugar control approaches in one pill taken by mouth. This appears to be a new treatment option, though patients should speak with their doctor to learn whether it might be relevant to their care.

New Diabetes Pill Option Gets FDA Green Light

Researchers found that dapagliflozin — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — has received FDA approval as a tablet that people take by mouth. This type of medication is generally used to help with blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, and in some cases may also support kidney and heart health. This approval means a version made by Macleods Pharmaceuticals is now an available option alongside others already on the market.

Popular diabetes drugs may lower death risk

This research looked at a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana and reviewed 50 studies to see how it affects survival across different groups of people. The studies found that people taking this type of medication were less likely to die — both within the first year and over longer periods — with some of the strongest benefits seen in people who were hospitalized with a serious heart condition called acute cardiac decompensation, which is when the heart suddenly struggles to pump blood properly. This appears to be a safety and effectiveness update, adding to the growing body of evidence about how this medication may help people beyond just managing blood sugar control.

Popular diabetes drugs may cut death risk in older adults

A study found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana was linked to lower risks of sudden kidney problems and death in older adults, with the strongest survival benefit seen in people aged 75 and older — but it also came with a notably higher risk of genital infections, especially at higher doses and in the oldest patients. Researchers also found that not all medications in this group behave the same way, meaning the specific drug chosen can matter for safety. People with type 2 diabetes in this age group may want to ask their doctor how these trade-offs apply to their personal health situation.

Diabetes Drug May Help Beyond Blood Sugar

Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza (semaglutide) may have benefits that go well beyond blood sugar control, with promising signs in conditions like kidney disease, heart failure, and joint problems — and scientists are now exploring whether it might also help with brain-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease. For people with type 2 diabetes, this is interesting because a medication they may already be taking could potentially offer additional health benefits. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.

Check your BP regularly if you have diabetes

According to clinical guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at every routine visit, or at least every six months, and are encouraged to monitor it at home as well. Guidelines recommend that if it can be safely achieved, the target blood pressure for these patients should be below 130/80 mmHg — and even lower (below 120 on the top number) for those at higher risk for serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes. These targets are meant to be decided together by patients and their doctor, taking into account each person's overall health, personal preferences, and how well they might tolerate blood pressure medications.

Exercise Plans That Work for Your Type 2 Diabetes

A study found that for people with type 2 diabetes, regular exercise — such as gradually increasing physical activity over time, tailored to what each person can safely handle — is a key part of managing the condition and improving overall health. Researchers found that factors like a person's social situation, mental well-being, and access to facilities all affect whether people stick with an exercise routine. The study also found that having trained professionals guide the process helps turn an exercise plan on paper into something that actually works in real life.

Popular diabetes drugs may not increase cancer risk

Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana does not appear to raise the overall risk of cancer — including breast and bladder cancer — in people with type 2 diabetes, even those who also have heart failure or kidney disease. This came from a large analysis combining data from 28 studies and nearly 100,000 participants. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.

Ultra-processed foods may harm diabetes control

A study found that eating too many ultra-processed foods — things like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, fast food, and ready-made meals — is linked to poor health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, partly because these foods tend to be loaded with saturated fat (the kind of fat that can clog arteries) and added sugars while offering little real nutrition. Researchers found that this combination of excess calories and low nutritional value can make blood sugar control harder to manage. The study highlights that the more ultra-processed foods people eat on a regular basis, the greater the impact on their overall health.