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Cardiac and Kidney Benefits of Empagliflozin in Heart Failure Across the Spectrum of Kidney Function

Faiez M. Zannad, João Pedro Ferreira, Stuart Pocock, Cordula Zeller, Stefan D. Anker, Javed Butler, Gerasimos S Filippatos, Sibylle Jenny Hauske et al.

Circulation, 2020

3,730 participants · 286 citations

Abstract

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: In EMPEROR-Reduced (Empagliflozin Outcome Trial in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction), empagliflozin reduced cardiovascular death or heart failure (HF) hospitalization and total HF hospitalizations, and slowed the progressive decline in kidney function in patients with HF and a reduced ejection fraction, with and without diabetes. We aim to study the effect of empagliflozin on cardiovascular and kidney outcomes across the spectrum of kidney function. Methods: In this prespecified analysis, patients were categorized by the presence or absence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) at baseline (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 300 mg/g). The primary and key secondary outcomes were: (1) a composite of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization (primary outcome); (2) total HF hospitalizations; and (3) eGFR slope. The direct impact on kidney events was investigated by a prespecified composite kidney outcome (defined as a sustained profound decline in eGFR, chronic dialysis, or transplant). The median follow-up was 16 months. Results: Of 3730 patients who were randomized to empagliflozin or placebo, 1978 (53%) had CKD. Empagliflozin reduced the primary outcome and total HF hospitalizations in patients with and without CKD: hazard ratio (HR)=0.78 (95% CI, 0.65–0.93) and HR=0.72 (95% CI, 0.58–0.90), respectively (interaction P=0.63). Empagliflozin slowed the slope of eGFR decline…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 3,730 participants or records.

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