[EMPA-REG OUTCOME: Empagliflozin reduces mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk].

EMPA-REG OUTCOME is an international, prospective, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating the cardiovascular outcomes of empagliflozin, an inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporters type 2 (SGLT2), in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and known cardiovascular disease. The trial succeeded in reaching the primary objective of non-inferiority and, in addition, showed, after a median follow up of 3.1 years, a superiority of empagliflozin (10 or 25 mg/day) versus placebo as regards the primary composite cardiovascular endpoint (hasard ratio or HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.74-0.99; P = 0.04), hospitalisations for heart failure (-35%), cardiovascular mortality (-38%) and all-cause mortality (-32%, each p < 0.001). The reductionin mortality appeared early (< 6 months) and concerned all subgroups, without any obvious heterogeneity. This reduction in mortality does not seem to be fully explained by the concomitant slight reductions in HbA1c, body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and serum uric acid levels in the empagliflozin groups versus the placebo group. Finally, the tolerance and safety profile of empagliflozin was good, with only a moderate increase in benign mycotic genital infections, a well-known adverse event with SGLT2 inhibitors. The remarkable effects of empagliflozin in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, especially on mortality, should modify the management of patients with type 2 diabetes and a high cardiovascular risk in a near future.