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Empagliflozin in Heart Failure with a Preserved Ejection Fraction
Stefan D Anker1, Javed Butler1, Gerasimos Filippatos1
1From the Department of Cardiology (CVK) and the Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) partner site Berlin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin (S.D.A.), Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homberg (M. Böhm), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen (N.M.), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma, Biberach (C.Z., S.S.), Boehringer Ingelheim International, Ingelheim (W.J., M. Brueckmann), and the Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim (M. Brueckmann) - all in Germany; the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson (J.B.); National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens (G.F.); Université de Lorraine, INSERM, Centre d'Investigations Cliniques Plurithématique 1433, and INSERM Unité 1116, CHRU, F-CRIN INI-CRCT (Cardiovascular and Renal Clinical Trialists) (J.P.F.), and Université de Lorraine, INSERM INI-CRCT, CHRU (F.Z.) - both in Nancy, France; the Cardiovascular Research and Development Center, Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal (J.P.F.); Unidade de Insuficiência Cardíaca, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (E.B.); Maastricht University Medical Center and the School for Cardiovascular Disease CARIM - both in Maastricht, the Netherlands (H.-P.B.-L.R.); the Department of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul, South Korea (D.-J.C.); Max Superspeciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India (V.C.); the National Institute of Cardiology, Mexico City (E.C.-V.); McGill University Health Centre, Montreal (N.G.), and St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto (S.V.) - both in Canada; the Cardiology Service, Fundación Valle del Lili, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia (J.E.G.-M.); the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (S.J.); Massachusetts General Hospital and Baim Institute for Clinical Research, Boston (J.L.J.); University Hospital, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (J.R.G.-J.); Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweiss University, Budapest, Hungary (B.M.); Victorian Heart Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia (S.J.N.); Argentine Catholic University, and Medical Advisor in Heart Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension and Intrathoracic Transplant at FLENI and IADT Institute - both in Buenos Aires (S.V.P.); Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant (I.L.P.); Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland (P.P.); the Cardiovascular Department, Cardiology Division, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo (M.S.), and Università di Pisa, Pisa (S.T.) - both in Italy; National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore (D.S.); the Internal Cardiology Department, St. Ann University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic (J.S.); the University of Leicester, Glenfield General Hospital, Leicester (I.S.), the University of Glasgow, Glasgow (N.S.), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (S.J.P.), and Imperial College, London (M.P.) - all in the United Kingdom; Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan (H.T.); the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Carol Davila University and Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania (D.V.); the Heart Failure Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing (J.Z.); the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC (P.C.); National Heart Centre Singapore, Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore (C.S.P.L.); Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Ridgefield, CT (J.M.S.); and Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute, Dallas (M.P.).
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors like empagliflozin significantly reduce heart failure hospitalizations in patients with preserved ejection fraction. This benefit was observed regardless of diabetes status, improving cardiovascular outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are known to reduce heart failure hospitalization risk in patients with reduced ejection fraction.
- However, their efficacy in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains uncertain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of empagliflozin on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HFpEF.
- To assess the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized trial involving 5988 patients with class II-IV heart failure and ejection fraction >40%.
- Patients received either empagliflozin (10 mg daily) or placebo, alongside standard therapy.
- The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure.
Main Results:
- Empagliflozin significantly reduced the primary outcome by 21% (hazard ratio, 0.79; P<0.001).
- This reduction was primarily driven by a lower risk of heart failure hospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.73; P<0.001).
- Benefits were consistent in patients with and without diabetes. Increased rates of genital/urinary infections and hypotension were noted with empagliflozin.
Conclusions:
- Empagliflozin effectively reduces the combined risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization in patients with HFpEF.
- The drug's benefits are independent of diabetes status in this population.
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