Prevention of Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes: Role of Diabetes Medications.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). In patients with DM, preventing HF using diabetes medications should be an imperative for primary care physicians and cardiologists alike.

RECENT FINDINGS: Prior studies with DPP-IV inhibitors, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), and GLP-1 agonists have demonstrated either a neutral effect on HF or increased HF hospitalizations. Two recent large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs), EMPA-REG OUTCOME and CANVAS, compared sodium glucose transporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) to placebo. Use of SGLT-2i led to a substantial reduction in HF events and hospitalizations in patients with DM, with or without history of HF. Use of SGLT-2i therapy has been shown to reduce HF in patients with DM.