In an international study, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes could also benefit a wide range of heart failure patients.
A large clinical trial showed that the drug dapagliflozin reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or worsening of heart failure, regardless of ejection fraction. Ejection fraction is a term that basically refers to the amount of blood that is pumped out by the heart’s left ventricle each time it contracts, according to the American Heart Association.
Dapagliflozin has previously been shown to benefit heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. However, this new study shows that it can also have a positive impact on people who have a mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction.
“In the largest and most inclusive trial of heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction, we found that treatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin can benefit patients across the spectrum of heart failure,” said Scott Solomon, MD. He is part of Brigham’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and presented the results of the trial. “These findings establish that SGLT2 inhibitors are the cornerstone treatment for patients living with heart failure, regardless of ejection fraction, to help prevent hospitalization and morbidity and to extend meaningful survival and improve quality of life.” health-related outcomes. These are the outcomes that matter most to patients and to physicians, so patients feel good and live longer.”
The diabetes medication causes the body to excrete sugar through the urine, so it is helpful in controlling blood sugar.
The study involved more than 12,000 patients that included a wide range of ages and races, and the researchers say that people consistently benefited from the treatment.
The researchers hope the new study will help the tens of millions of people around the world who are affected by heart failure.
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