Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Preceding ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Global Proteomics and Pathobiological Insights.

BACKGROUND

While sodium-glucose cotransport 2 receptor inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve post infarction cardiovascular outcomes, limited understanding exists on how these agents influence pathophysiology preceding myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to explore how proteins are differentially regulated in patients on and not on an SGLT2i preceding ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHODS

Between June 2021 and October 2023, blood was collected at the time of arterial sheath insertion from consecutive STEMI patients. We then identified patients with diabetes and created propensity-matched pairs of patients on and not on SGLT2i prior to STEMI (SGLT2i+ and SGLT2i-). Serum was separated, and following immunodepletion and enzymatic digestion, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed to identify differentially regulated proteins between the 2 SGLT2i groups.

RESULTS

Of the 560 STEMI patients, 149 eligible patients had diabetes distributed by pre-existing SGLT2i use as: SGLT2i+ (n = 35) and SGLT2i- (n = 114). Both SGLT2i groups were comparable in their presenting demographics and reperfusion strategies, except for higher proportion of insulin use in SGLT2i+ patients. Thirty-three SGLT2i+/SGLT2i- propensity-matched pairs were created from which 21 differentially expressed proteins were identified; dominantly noted was up-regulation of proteins involved in heme-scavenging and nitric oxide transport in patients on SGLT2i+ compared with SGLT2i preceding STEMI.

CONCLUSIONS

SGLT2i appears to predominantly associate with up-regulation of heme-scavenging and nitric oxide, and plausibly through a related reduction in infarct size also associates with the observed related improvement in post infarction heart failure.