ArticleDiabetes care2026
Metabolic Improvement Mediates the Causal Relationship Between GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Myocardial Infarction: A Mendelian Randomization and Mediation Analysis Study.
Article in Diabetes care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Across Myocardial Infarction-Defined Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions · 2026Pooled it
- Body mass index, physical activity, and epigenetic aging: a cross-population study.Clinical epigenetics · 2026Observational
- Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Platelet Function: Potential Benefits Beyond Glycemic Control.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Orforglipron: A Comprehensive Review of an Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveGlucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have cardiovascular benefits, but whether this is via metabolic improvements or direct effect remains controversial. This study aimed to explore the causal link between GLP-1RAs and myocardial infarction (MI) and quantify the contribution of metabolic improvements. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsMendelian randomization (MR) was applied to assess the causal relationship between GLP-1RAs and MI, and two-step MR analysis was applied to quantify the mediating role of metabolic traits. The direct effect of GLP-1RAs on MI was evaluated by multivariate Mendelian randomization (MVMR). Genetic variants associated with GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) expression (proxying GLP-1RAs) were used as instrumental variables. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data for metabolic traits glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), BMI, lipid profile, and blood pressure were sourced from the Million Veteran Program, serving as mediators. GWAS data for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were obtained from the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis (DIAGRAM) consortium, and data for MI were sourced from the UK Biobank/Coronary ARtery DIsease Genome wide Replication and Meta-analysis plus The Coronary Artery Disease (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D), serving as outcomes. All GWAS data were restricted to European ancestry.
resultsHigher GLP-1R expression was correlated with a lower risk of T2DM (odds ratio 0.94 [95% CI 0.92, 0.97]) and MI (0.97 [0.95, 1.00]). Metabolic improvements mediated this association: HbA1c (36.67% [3.89, 69.44]), BMI (28.86% [2.62, 55.10]), triglycerides (18.52% [1.47, 35.57]), HDL-cholesterol (18.28% [1.45, 35.12]), and systolic blood pressure (11.55% [0.33, 22.76]). No direct effect of GLP-1R expression on MI was observed after adjusting for metabolic traits (β = -0.003, P = 0.12).
conclusionsGLP-1RAs protect against MI primarily through metabolic improvements, with no direct effect independent of these pathways. These findings support prioritizing metabolic improvements to reduce cardiovascular risk with GLP-1RAs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.