A new drug called sotagliflozin, recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may help people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes. A major international study, led by a researcher from Mount Sinai, found that this drug significantly reduces these life-threatening events in high-risk patients.
Sotagliflozin belongs to a group of medicines called SGLT inhibitors, which help control blood sugar by blocking certain proteins in the body. These proteins, known as SGLT1 and SGLT2, play a role in how the body absorbs sugar and sodium. Most similar drugs only block SGLT2, but sotagliflozin affects both, making it different from other treatments available.
The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, is the first to show that blocking both proteins with sotagliflozin can have extra heart-protecting benefits. Because of these findings, doctors may start using it more often to prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients who have diabetes or kidney disease.
Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, who led the research, explains that this drug works in a unique way. It blocks SGLT1, found in the kidney, gut, heart, and brain, as well as SGLT2, which is mainly in the kidney. This combined effect appears to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes, something that other SGLT2 drugs have not shown as clearly.
The clinical trial, called SCORED, was a large and well-organized study. Researchers worked with 10,584 patients who had type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and other risk factors for heart problems. These patients were randomly assigned to take either sotagliflozin or a placebo (a pill with no active ingredient). The study followed them for about 16 months.
The results showed that people who took sotagliflozin had a 23% lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death from cardiovascular disease compared to those who took the placebo. This means the drug not only helps control diabetes and kidney disease but also protects the heart.
Dr. Bhatt emphasizes that this drug offers doctors a new tool to reduce the risks of serious heart conditions in patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and heart failure.
He explains that sotagliflozin has already been approved to lower the chances of death from heart disease, hospital stays due to heart failure, and emergency visits for heart problems. These new findings add to its benefits, showing it can also cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Review and Analysis
This study provides strong evidence that sotagliflozin is more than just a diabetes drug—it could also be a key treatment for preventing heart disease in high-risk patients. The 23% reduction in heart attacks and strokes is a major finding, especially for people with both diabetes and kidney disease, who are already at a higher risk of heart problems.
The drug’s ability to block both SGLT1 and SGLT2 seems to be what makes it different from other similar medications. Most SGLT2 inhibitors are already used to help with heart failure and kidney disease, but they have not been as effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes. Sotagliflozin’s dual action may explain why it works better for cardiovascular protection.
However, as with any new treatment, more research is needed. Scientists will likely continue studying sotagliflozin to understand its long-term effects and whether it should be used for even more patients. If future studies confirm these benefits, it could change the way doctors treat people with diabetes and heart disease.
For now, these results offer hope that a newly approved drug can help millions of people not only manage their blood sugar but also protect their hearts.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about how to eat to prevent stroke, and diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
The research findings can be found in The Lancet.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
