In an international study, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have found that a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes could also benefit a wide range of patients with heart failure.
A large-scale clinical trial showed that the drug dapagliflozin reduced the risk of a cardiovascular death, or worsening heart failure, regardless of ejection fraction. Ejection fraction is a term that basically refers to how much blood is pumped out by the left ventricle of the heart each time it contracts, according to the American Heart Association.
Dapagliflozin had previously been shown to benefit heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. This new study, though, shows it can also have a positive impact on people who have mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction.
"In the largest and most inclusive trial of heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction, we found that treatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin can benefit patients across the full spectrum of heart failure," Scott Solomon, MD said. He is part of Brigham's Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and presented the results of the trial. "These findings establish SGLT2 inhibitors as foundational treatment for patients living with heart failure, regardless of ejection fraction, to help prevent hospitalization and morbidity and to extend meaningful survival and improve health-related quality of life. These are the outcomes that matter most to patients and to clinicians — to keep patients feeling well and living longer."
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The diabetes drug causes the body to excrete sugar through urine, so it is helpful in controlling blood sugar.
The study spanned more than 12,000 patients that included a wide range of ages and races, and researchers say people consistently benefitted from the treatment.
Researchers hope the new study will help the tens of millions of people worldwide who are impacted by heart failure.
