SGLT2 inhibitors improve biomarkers indicative of CVD risk in diabetes patients: Study
Turkey: Both dapagliflozin and empagliflozin significantly improve plasma atherogenic biomarkers (AIP and TyG indexes), an indicator of cardiovascular risk, in patients with type 2 diabetes, finds a recent study in the journal Minerva Endocrinology.
Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) defined as the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of fasting plasma TG (mg/dL) to HDL-C [log (TG/HDL-C)], triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein (TG-to-HDL-C) ratio, and the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index which is calculated as Ln (fasting TG (mg/dL) × fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2) are some of the cost-effective, non-invasive, and predictive tools for predicting CVD risk in diabetes patients. These tools are indirect markers of atherosclerosis.
Dapagliflozin and empagliflozin have shown to exhibit cardiovascular beneficial effects. Ozlem Ustay, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to evaluate the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on AIP, TyG index, and TG-to-HDL-C ratio in patients with type 2 diabetes.
For this purpose, the researchers conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study. It included 143 patients with type 2 diabetes s who were prescribed SGLT2i in the endocrinology outpatient clinic between January 2017 and June 2019. Sixty-six patients were prescribed dapagliflozin (46.2%), and 77 were prescribed empagliflozin (53.8%).
Demographic and clinical data were collected from patient files. AIP, TyG index, and TG-to-HDL-C ratio were calculated obtained at the first visit and the sixth-month visit.
Key findings of the study include:
- SGLT2i treatment did not alter the lipid profile except the serum triglyceride (TG) levels.
- Serum TG levels were significantly reduced after 6 months of SGLT2i therapy.
- All patients had significant reductions in AIP at 6-month follow-up, accompanied by a significant reduction in TyG index.
- Both empagliflozin and dapagliflozin caused significant decrease in AIP and TyG index.
"Both dapagliflozin and empagliflozin were noted to significantly affect AIP and TyG indexes, which indicate atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk, with or without statin treatment regardless of lipid parameters," wrote the authors.
Reference:
The study titled, "SGLT2 inhibitors improve plasma atherogenic biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a real world retrospective observational study," is published in the journal Minerva Endocrinology.
DOI: https://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/minerva-endocrinology/article.php?cod=R07Y9999N00A21051202
