Sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in chronic kidney disease and heart failure: ready for prime time in patients without diabetes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The benefits of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors seem to extend beyond glycemic control. We review recent randomized trial evidence evaluating SGLT2 inhibition in nondiabetic settings, including in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure (HF).

RECENT FINDINGS

DAPA-CKD, DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced compared SGLT2 inhibitors to placebo, enrolling 5868 patients without diabetes. In DAPA-CKD, patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 25-75 ml/min/1.73 m2 and macroalbuminuria irrespective of kidney disease aetiology had improved cardiovascular and kidney outcomes if randomized to receive SGLT2 inhibitors (primary composite endpoint: hazard ratio [HR] 0.61, 95% CI 0.51-0.72; absolute risk reduction [ARR] 5.3%). In DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced, participants with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) had improved cardiovascular outcomes when an SGLT2 inhibitor was added to guideline-directed medical therapy, mainly through a reduction in HF hospitalizations (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.59-0.83; ARR 3.7% and HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.59-0.81; ARR 5.1% with dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, respectively). In all 3 trials, the benefits were not modified by diabetes, baseline eGFR or proteinuria.

SUMMARY

SGLT2 inhibitors improve kidney and HF outcomes in patients with high-risk CKD and HFrEF, irrespective of diabetes. Clinicians should become more comfortable prescribing these medications as we await studies that may further broaden their indications.