Scientists have looked into the use of a medication typically used to treat diabetes in certain heart failure patients.
A clinical trial established by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers reviewed the use of empagliflozin to treat and reduce heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in diabetes and nondiabetes patients, according to a news release.
Findings revealed that the newly developed diabetes medication can enhance the shape, size and function of the heart to spur better capacity to exercise and improved quality of life. Doing so will lead to fewer heart failure-related hospitalizations, according to researchers.
The results were presented at the virtual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2020 and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Nov. 13.
“Our clinical trial’s promising results show this diabetes drug can ameliorate lives of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, enhance their exercise capacity, and improve their quality of life with little to no side effects,” said lead author Dr. Carlos Santos-Gallego, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the school. “We expect this work will help lead to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of empagliflozin for this patient population in the coming months.”
The study randomized 84 patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction for treatment with a placebo or empagliflozin. All participants took baseline evaluations, including a six-minute walk test and surveys on their quality of life. Patients spent six months taking either a placebo or the diabetes drug. When six months came to pass, the patients took the baseline tests again.
Notable improvements were seen in about 80% of patients who took empagliflozin with researchers observing that their hearts almost returned to normal. Results showed their heart failure became less severe and the left heart ventricle was able to pump blood more easily. In the placebo group, however, researchers saw no improvement and they either remained at baseline or had worsening conditions.
Similar results were shown with exercise, as patients taking empagliflozin showed 10% improvement and those taking the placebo had none.
“Our study also identifies why this drug is effective: because it improves heart function, something that has not been understood until now,” Dr. Santos-Gallego said. “Many doctors are afraid of prescribing a drug they do not understand, and our findings will help clinicians feel more comfortable giving this to patients once approved. A cornerstone finding is that, although this drug was initially developed for diabetes, it is also incredibly effective in patients without diabetes.”
