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In heart failure, adding empagliflozin to medical therapy reduced a composite of CV death or HF hospitalization
Nicolas L Palaskas1, Anita Deswal1
1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA (N.L.P., A.D.).
Annals of Internal Medicine
|November 16, 2020
Summary
Empagliflozin significantly reduced cardiovascular and renal events in patients with heart failure, regardless of diabetes status. This sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor offers a new therapeutic option for heart failure management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality.
- Existing therapies have limited efficacy in improving outcomes for all HF patients.
- Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have shown cardiovascular benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of empagliflozin in reducing cardiovascular and renal events in patients with heart failure.
- To assess the effect of empagliflozin across different patient subgroups, including those with and without type 2 diabetes.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
- Inclusion of patients with symptomatic heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%) with or without type 2 diabetes.
- Primary composite endpoint included cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure.
Main Results:
- Empagliflozin significantly reduced the risk of the primary composite endpoint by 26% compared to placebo.
- Significant reductions were observed in cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure, and renal outcomes.
- Benefits were consistent across patients with and without type 2 diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Empagliflozin demonstrated significant benefits in reducing cardiovascular and renal events in patients with heart failure.
- The findings support the use of empagliflozin as a foundational therapy for heart failure, irrespective of diabetes status.
- SGLT2 inhibition represents a novel therapeutic pathway for managing heart failure.
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