A new study, authored by KBH Professor Jan Inge Henter and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has investigated whether the drug empagliflozin can reduce the risk of heart failure and death in patients who have recently suffered a heart attack.
The drug, which is used for type 2 diabetes and heart failure, was tested on over 6,500 patients. They were divided into two groups - one received empagliflozin, while the other was given a placebo (an inactive substance) - and were followed for approximately 18 months.
The results showed that although empagliflozin reduced the number of first hospitalisations for heart failure, it did not significantly impact the overall risk of heart failure or death compared to placebo. This suggests that the drug may not provide the protective effect against heart attack that researchers had hoped for.
A positive aspect of the study was that empagliflozin did not lead to more side effects than expected. Its safety profile was consistent with previous research, meaning that the drug was generally well tolerated by patients.
The study contributes valuable knowledge about how SGLT2 inhibitors function in heart disease and raises new questions about which patients may benefit most from these medications. The researchers emphasise that further studies are needed to understand the role empagliflozin might play in the treatment of heart attack patients in the future.
