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Empagliflozin Reduces Myocardial Extracellular Volume in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease

T. Mason, O. Coelho-Filho, S. Verma, Biswajit Chowdhury, F. Zuo, A. Quan, K. Thorpe, Christopher Bonneau et al.

JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, 2021

97 participants · 96 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to evaluate the effects of empagliflozin on extracellular volume (ECV) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD).

BACKGROUND

Empagliflozin has been shown to reduce left ventricular mass index (LVMi) in patients with T2DM and CAD. The effects on myocardial ECV are unknown.

METHODS

This was a prespecified substudy of the EMPA-HEART (Effects of Empagliflozin on Cardiac Structure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes) CardioLink-6 trial in which 97 participants were randomized to receive empagliflozin 10 mg daily or placebo for 6 months. Data from 74 participants were included: 39 from the empagliflozin group and 35 from the placebo group. The main outcome was change in left ventricular ECV from baseline to 6 months determined by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Other outcomes included change in LVMi, indexed intracellular compartment volume (iICV) and indexed extracellular compartment volume (iECV), and the fibrosis biomarkers soluble suppressor of tumorgenicity (sST2) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2.

RESULTS

Baseline ECV was elevated in the empagliflozin group (29.6 ± 4.6%) and placebo group (30.6 ± 4.8%). Six months of empagliflozin therapy reduced ECV compared with placebo (adjusted difference: -1.40%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.60 to -0.14%; p = 0.03). Empagliflozin therapy reduced iECV (adjusted difference: -1.5 ml/m2; 95% CI: -2.6 to -0.5 ml/m2; p = 0.006), with a trend toward reduction in…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 97 participants or records.

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