Claimed effect · Liraglutide

Does Liraglutide help with major cardiovascular events?

A
Grade A — established in humans1 large outcome RCT · effect size: small
Short answerEstablished in humans. 1 large outcome RCT point the same way: a small effect. LEADER, 9,340 people with type 2 diabetes, median 3.8 years: MACE 13.0% versus 14.9% (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.79–0.97); cardiovascular death HR 0.78; all-cause death HR 0.85.

What the studies show

LEADER, 9,340 people with type 2 diabetes, median 3.8 years: MACE 13.0% versus 14.9% (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.79–0.97); cardiovascular death HR 0.78; all-cause death HR 0.85.

“The primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the liraglutide group (608 of 4668 patients [13.0%]) than in the placebo group (694 of 4672 [14.9%]) (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78 to 0.97; P<0.001 for noninferiority; P=0.01 for superiority).”

Verbatim, from the abstractMarso SP, et al. Liraglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (LEADER). N Engl J Med, 2016; DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa1603827

Several well-run randomised trials in people, pointing the same way. You can plan around this. It still says nothing about whether the effect is worth the side effects for you.

  1. 1
    Marso SP, et al. Liraglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (LEADER).N Engl J Med, 2016; DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa16038279,340 patients, median 3.8 years.

In context

Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist and the drug that proved the class. In the 3,731-person SCALE trial it produced 8.0% weight loss at 56 weeks against 2.6% on placebo, and in the 9,340-person LEADER trial it cut major cardiovascular events by 13% and cardiovascular death by 22% in people with type 2 diabetes. It is approved almost everywhere, now generic, and less effective than the weekly drugs that followed it.

Liraglutide is approved (saxenda, victoza). Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is Liraglutide proven to help with major cardiovascular events?
Yes, as far as human trials can show it: 1 large outcome RCT. LYO grades this outcome A.
What studies are behind the grade?
LEADER, 9,340 people with type 2 diabetes, median 3.8 years: MACE 13.0% versus 14.9% (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.79–0.97); cardiovascular death HR 0.78; all-cause death HR 0.85.
Is Liraglutide approved for this?
Liraglutide is an approved medicine (Approved (Saxenda, Victoza)); whether this particular outcome is a licensed indication is stated on the compound page's regulation section.

Other outcomes for Liraglutide

Written and maintained by LYO Research — how pages are written and checked. Reviewed 3 September 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →