A new study, led by Professor Jan Inge Henter and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined whether the drug empagliflozin could help prevent heart failure and death in patients recovering from a recent heart attack.
Empagliflozin is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes and heart failure. To test its potential benefits for heart attack patients, researchers conducted a large clinical trial involving more than 6,500 participants.
The patients were divided into two groups—one group received empagliflozin, while the other was given a placebo (a substance with no active effect). The participants were monitored for about 18 months to track their heart health.
The results showed that empagliflozin reduced the number of first-time hospitalizations for heart failure.
However, it did not significantly lower the overall risk of heart failure or death compared to the placebo.
This means that while the drug may help with short-term heart function, it may not provide the broader protective effects that researchers had hoped for in heart attack recovery.
A positive takeaway from the study was that empagliflozin did not cause unexpected side effects. Its safety profile was consistent with past research, meaning that most patients tolerated the drug well.
Although the study did not confirm a strong protective effect for heart attack patients, it provided valuable insights into how SGLT2 inhibitors (the class of drugs to which empagliflozin belongs) affect heart disease.
Researchers believe that further studies are needed to determine which groups of heart attack patients might still benefit from this medication.
While empagliflozin has proven effective for treating diabetes and existing heart failure, its role in preventing heart complications after a heart attack remains uncertain. This study highlights the importance of ongoing research to improve treatment strategies for heart disease patients.
The research findings can be found in New England Journal of Medicine.
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