By Syed Ghias
Take Home Messages
- Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are a novel class of oral hypoglycaemic medications which have been shown to be effective in reducing heart failure hospitalisations and cardiovascular death in patients with either established cardiovascular disease or high cardiovascular risk.
- European and American guidelines recommend using SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease to reduce cardiovascular events and hospitalisations with heart failure.
- Dapagliflozin has also received NICE and FDA approval for use in patient with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction regardless of the presence of diabetes mellitus.
- Results from large randomised controlled trials are awaited to see if SGLT-2 inhibitors confer similar treatment benefits in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or when initiated in hospitalised patients with acute heart failure.
