Prospects of using the sodium-dependent glucose transporter type 2 inhibitor empagliflosin in patients with heart failure

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8127.2025.71.9

Keywords:

heart failure, chronic kidney disease, sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, empagliflozin

Abstract

Introduction. Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common cardiovascular complications, which worsens the patients prognosis significantly. It is accompanied by the loss of renal function, leads to frequent repeated hospitalizations and death. The addition of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors to the standard therapy has become a real breakthrough in the medical treatment of chronic HF.The aim of the given research is to study potential mechanisms of how to implement the beneficial effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors and improve the treatment and prognosis of patients with different types of HF using empagliflozin.Materials and methods. Analysis of literature sources on the results of existing studies assessing the mechanism of action, clinical benefit and safety of the representative of SGLT2 inhibitors, i.e. empagliflozin, in patients with different types of HF has been conducted in the given study.Results. Empagliflozin is the first SGLT2 inhibitor that has demonstrated cardioprotective and nephroprotective effects in patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk in addition to improving glycemic control (EMPA-REG OUTCOME study). Subsequent studies (EMPEROR-Reduced, EMPEROR-Preserved, EMPA-RESPONSE-AHF, EMPULSE, EMPAG-HF, EMPA-KIDNEY) have convincingly demonstrated the positive effect of empagliflozin on the course of chronic heart failure regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction and glycemic status, as well as on improving the prognosis in patients with chronic kidney disease and patients with acute heart failure, while demonstrating a favorable safety profile. The impact of this group of drugs on clinical outcomes in patients with acute heart failure is of great interest for further rigorous studies.Conclusions. The available cardio- and nephroprotective properties of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin ensure effectiveness of its use in chronic HF and/or chronic kidney disease regardless of the presence of type 2 diabetes. They also demonstrate favorable prospects in improving the prognosis of patients hospitalized with acute HF.

References

Joshi SS, Singh T, Newby DE, et al. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor therapy: mechanisms of action in heart failure. Heart. 2021;107(13):1032-38 doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2020-318060.

Levy D, Kenchaiah S, Larson MG, et al. Long-term trends in the incidence of and survival with heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(18):1397-402 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa020265.

Tromp J, Bamadhaj S, Cleland JG, et al. Post-discharge prognosis of patients admitted to hospital for heart failure by world region, and national level of income and income disparity (REPORT-HF): a cohort study. Lancet Glob Health. 2020;8(3):e411-e422 doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30004-8.

McMurray JJ, Packer M, Desai AS, et al. Angiotensin-Neprilysin Inhibition versus Enalapril in Heart Failure. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(11):993-1004 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1409077.

McMurray JJ, Solomon SD, Inzucchi SE, et al.; DAPA-HF Trial Committees and Investigators. Dapagliflozin in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(21):1995-2008 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1911303.

Packer M, Anker SD, Butler J, et al. Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes with Empagliflozin in Heart Failure. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(15):1413-24 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2022190.

Zannad F, Ferreira JP, Pocock SJ, et al. SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a meta-analysis of the EMPEROR-Reduced and DAPA-HF trials. Lancet. 2020;396(10254):819-29 doi:10.1016/ S0140-6736(20)31824-9.

McDonagh TA, Metra M, Adamo M, et al. 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(36):3599-3726 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehab368.

McDonagh TA, Metra M, Adamo M, et al. 2023 Focused Update of the 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Eur Heart J. 2023;44(37):3627-3639 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehad195.

Zinman B, Wanner C, Lachin J, et al. Empagliflozin, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2015;373:2117-28 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1504720.

Fitchett D, Zinman B, Wanner C, et al. Heart failure outcomes with empagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes at high car- diovascular risk: results of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial. Eur Heart J. 2016;37(19):1526-34 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehv728.

Fitchett D, Butler J, van de Borne P, et al. Effects of empagliflozin on risk for cardiovascular death and heart failure hos- pitalization across the spectrum of heart failure risk in the EMPAREG OUTCOME trial. Eur Heart J 2018;39(5):363-370 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx511.

Verma S, Leiter LA, Zinman B, et al. Time to cardiovascular benefits of empagliflozin: a post hoc observation from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial. ESC Heart Fail. 2021;8(4):2603-2607 doi: 10.1002/ehf2.13374.

Wanner C, Inzucchi SE, Lachin JM, et al. Empagliflozin and Progression of Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(4):323-334 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1515920.

Wanner C, Lachin JM, Inzucchi SE, et al. Empagliflozin and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mel- litus, Established Cardiovascular Disease, and Chronic Kidney Disease. Circulation. 2018;137:119-129 doi:10.1161/ CIRCULATIONAHA.117.028268.

Cosentino F, Grant PJ, Aboyans V, et al. 2019 ESC Guidelines on diabetes, prediabetes, and cardiovascular diseases developed in collaboration with the EASD. Eur Heart J. 2020;41(2):255‐323 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz486.

Packer M, Anker SD, Butler J, et al. Empagliflozin in Patients With Heart Failure, Reduced Ejection Fraction, and Volume Overload: EMPEROR-Reduced Trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021;77(11):1381-1392 doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2021.01.033.

Blecker S, Paul M, Taksler G, et al. Heart failure-associated hospitalizations in the United States. J Am Coll Cardio. 2013;61(12):1259-67 doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2012.12.038.

Butler J, Anker SD, Filippatos G, et al. Empagliflozin and health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with heart fail- ure with reduced ejection fraction: the EMPEROR-Reduced trial. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(13):1203-1212 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ ehaa1007.

Heidenreich PA, Albert NM, Allen LA, et al. Forecasting the impact of heart failure in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation: Heart Failure. 2013;6(3):606-19 doi:10.1161/HHF.0b013e318291329a.

Anker S.D., Butler J., Filippatos G., et al. Empagliflozin in heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(16);1451-1461 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2107038

Andersen MJ, Borlaug BA. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: current understandings and challenges. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2014;16(7):501 doi:10.1007/s11886-014-0501-8.

Nielsen EE, Feinberg JB, Bu FL, et al. Beneficial and harmful effects of sacubitril/valsartan in patients with heart fail- ure: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis. BMJ Open Heart. 2020;7(2):e001294 doi.10.1136/openhrt-2020-001294.

Solomon SD, McMurray JJV, Claggett B, et al. Dapagliflozin in heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(12):1089-98 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2206286.

Griffin M, Rao VS, Ivey-Miranda J, et al. Empagliflozin in heart failure: diuretic and cardiorenal effects. Circulation. 2020;142(11):1028-39 doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.045691.

Mordi NA, Mordi IR, Singh JS, et al. Renal and cardiovascular effects of SGLT2 inhibition in combination with loop diuretics in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic heart failure: the RECEDE-CHF trial. Circulation. 2020; 142(18):1713-24 doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048739.

Matthews VB, Elliot RH, Rudnicka C, et al. Role of the sympathetic nervous system in regulation of the sodium glucose cotransporter 2. J Hypertens. 2017;35(10):2059‐68 doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000001434.

Hammoudi N, Jeong D, Singh R, et al. Empagliflozin improves left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a genetic model of type 2 diabetes. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2017;31(3).233-246 doi:10.1007/s10557-017-6734-1.

Kusaka H, Koibuchi N, Hasegawa Y, et al. Empagliflozin lessened cardiac injury and reduced visceral adipocyte hypertrophy in prediabetic rats with metabolic syndrome. Cardiovasc. Diabetol. 2016;15(1).157 doi:10.1186/s12933-016-0473-7.

Habibi J, Aroor AR, Sowers JR, et al. Sodium glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition with empagliflozin improves cardiac diastolic function in a female rodent model of diabetes. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2017.16(1):9 doi:10.1186/s12933-016-0489-z.

Verma S, Maze СD, Yan AТ, et al. Effect of empagliflozin on left ventricular mass in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. The EMPAHEART CardioLink-6 randomized clinical trial. Circulation. 2019;140(21):1693-1702 doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.042375.

Santos-Gallego CG, Vargas-Delgado AP, Requena-Ibanez JA, et al. EMPATROPISM (ATRU-4) Investigators. Randomized trial of empagliflozin in nondiabetic patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021;77(3):243-255 doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.11.008.

Lee MMY, Brooksbank KJM, Wetherall K, et al. Effect of empagliflozin on left ventricular volumes in patients with type 2 diabetes, or prediabetes, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (SUGAR-DM-HF). Circulation 2021;143(6):516-525 doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.052186.

Ferrannini E, Mark M, Mayoux E. CV Protection in the EMPAREG OUTCOME Trial: a “Thrifty Substrate” hypothesis. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(7):1108-14 doi:10.2337/dc16-0330.

Verma S, McMurray JJV. SGLT2 inhibitors and mechanisms of cardiovascular benefit: a state-of-the-art review. Diabetologia. 2018;61(10):2108–17 doi:10.1007/s00125-018-4670-7.

Thiele K, Rau M, Hartmann NK, et al. Effects of empagliflozin on erythropoiesis in patients with type 2 diabetes: Data from a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2021;23(12):2814-18 doi:10.1111/dom.14517.

Brito D, Bettencourt P, Carvalho D, et al. Sodium-Glucose Co-transporter 2 Inhibitors in the Failing Heart: a Growing Potential. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2020;34(3):419-436 doi:10.1007/s10557-020-06973-3.

Vardeny O, Wu DH, Desai A, et al. Influence of baseline and worsening renal function on efficacy of spironolactone in patients With severe heart failure: insights from RALES (Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012; 60(20): 2082-9 doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2012.07.048.

Zhao Y, Xu L, Tian D, et al. Effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on serum uric acid level: a metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018;20(2):458-62 doi:10.1111/dom.13101.

Shao SC, Kuo LT, Chien RN, et al. SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes with non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases: an umbrella review of systematic reviews. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2020;8(2):e001956 doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001956.

Kuchay MS, Krishan S, Mishra SK, et al. Effect of empagliflozin on liver fat in patients with type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial (E-LIFT trial). Diabetes Care. 2018;41(8):1801–1808 doi:10.2337/dc18-0165.

Іvachevska VV. The effect of comprehensive treatment of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in combination with prediabetes on the lipid profile. Wiad Lek. 2021;74(4):957-760 doi:10.36740/WLek202104127.

Masson W, Lavalle-Cobo A, Nogueira JP. Effect of SGLT2-inhibitors on epicardial adipose tissue: a metaanalysis. Cells 2021;10(8):2150 doi:10.3390/cells10082150.

Mahabadi AA, Berg MH, Lehmann N, et al. Association of epicardial fat with cardiovascular risk factors and incident myocardial infarction in the general population. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;61(13):1388-95 doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2012.11.062.

Sato T, Aizawa Y, Yuasa S, et al. The effect of dapagliflozin treatment on epicardial adipose tissue volume. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018;17(1):6 doi:10.1186/s12933-017-0658-8.

Iacobellis G, Barbaro G. Epicardial adipose tissue feeding and overfeeding the heart. Nutrition. 2019; 59:1-6 doi:10.1016/j. nut.2018.07.002.

Damman K, Beusekamp JC, Boorsma EM, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre pilot study on the effects of empagliflozin on clinical outcomes in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (EMPA-RESPONSE-AHF). Eur J Heart Fail. 2020;22(4):713-22 doi:10.1002/ejhf.1713.

Boorsma EM, Beusekamp JC, Ter Maaten JM, et al. Effects of empagliflozin on renal sodium and glucose handling in patients with acute heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail. 2021;23(1):68-78.doi:10.1002/ejhf.2066.

Tromp J, Ponikowski P, Salsali A, et al. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibition in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure: rationale for and design of the EMPULSE trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2021;23(5):826-834 doi:10.1002/ ejhf.2137.

Schulze PC, Bogoviku J, Westphal J, et al. Effects of early empagliflozin initiation on diuresis and kidney function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (EMPAG-HF). Circulation. 2022;146(4):289-298 doi:10.1161/ CIRCULATIONAHA.122.059038.

Herrington W., Staplin N., Wanner C. et al. Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. N Engl J Med. 2023;388:117-127 doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2204233.

Published

2025-04-30

How to Cite

Росул, М. М., Блецкан, М. М., Іваньо, Н. В., & Корабельщикова, М. О. (2025). Prospects of using the sodium-dependent glucose transporter type 2 inhibitor empagliflosin in patients with heart failure. Scientific Bulletin of the Uzhhorod University. Series «Medicine», (1(71), 52-60. https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8127.2025.71.9

Most read articles by the same author(s)