An SGLT2 Inhibitor to Lessen the Impact of Heart Failure

Evidence is growing that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can reduce the risk for heart failure (HF) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Many people have wondered whether these drugs can be beneficial for patients with HF, including those without diabetes. To examine the effect of the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin, researchers conducted the industry-funded, phase 3, placebo-controlled DAPA-HF trial (NCT03036124), which enrolled 4744 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or higher HF and an ejection fraction of ≤40% (mean age, 66; 23% women). In both groups, 45% of patients had type 2 diabetes.

About two thirds of the participants were in NYHA class II, mean ejection fraction was 31%, and mean systolic blood …