Evidence Hub

Efficacy and safety of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure: systematic review and meta-analysis

Butler J, Usman MS, Khan MS, Greene SJ, Friede T, Vaduganathan M, Filippatos G, Coats AJS et al.

ESC heart failure, 2020

8,884 participants · 104 citations

Abstract

Aims: We sought to conduct a meta-analysis regarding the safety and efficacy of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods and results: MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from their inception to November 2020 for placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials of SGLT2 inhibitors. Randomized controlled trials were selected if they reported at least one of the prespecified outcomes in patients with HF. Hazard ratios (HRs) or risk ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model. A total of seven trials including 16 820 HF patients (N = 8884 in the SGLT2 inhibitor arms; N = 7936 in the placebo arms) were included. In the overall HF cohort, SGLT2 inhibitors compared with placebo significantly reduced the risk of the composite endpoint of first HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death [HR: 0.77 (0.72-0.83); P 2 = 0%], time to first HF hospitalization [HR: 0.71 (0.64-0.78); P 2 = 0], cardiovascular mortality [HR: 0.87 (0.79-0.96); P = 0.005; I2 = 0%], and all-cause mortality [HR: 0.89 (0.82-0.96); P = 0.004; I2 = 0%]. Results remained consistent across HF-specific trials and according to diabetes mellitus status. A trend towards benefit was observed in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction for the composite of HF hospitalization and cardiovascular death [HR: 0.80 (0.63-1.00); P = 0.05; I2 = 29%]. No increased risk of hypovolaemia,…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 8,884 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free