Lower Rate of Adverse Cardiovascular Events with the Diabetes Drug Empagliflozin

Empagliflozin (Jardiance), a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, is FDA-approved for treating patients with type 2 diabetes; it lowers serum glucose levels by reducing renal reabsorption and increasing urinary excretion of glucose. In this industry-sponsored randomized trial, researchers examined the effects of empagliflozin on cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in 7020 type 2 diabetic patients (mean age, 63) with prior histories of coronary disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease.

At baseline, all patients had glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) levels between 7% and 10%. Diabetes was long-standing in most patients; most were taking other diabetes drugs, antihypertensive drugs, and statins. Patients received daily empagliflozin …