Empagliflozin, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 374; no. 11; pp. 1092 - 1094
• Main Authors: Sarafidis, Pantelis A, Tsapas, Apostolos, Fischereder, Michael, Schönermarck, Ulf, Edwards, Jonathan L, Rosenstein, Robert, Hough, Augustus, Zinman, Bernard, Lachin, John M, Inzucchi, Silvio E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 17-03-2016
• Subjects: Benzhydryl Compounds - therapeutic use; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Female; Glucosides - therapeutic use; Health risk assessment; Heart diseases; Heart failure; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Sodium; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc1600827

To the Editor:
The EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial (Nov. 26 issue)
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showed relative-risk reductions of 38% in death from cardiovascular causes, 31% in sudden death, and 35% in hospitalization for heart failure with empagliflozin as compared with placebo. The authors briefly speculate about underlying mechanisms. The difference in blood pressure favoring the empagliflozin groups, averaging 4 mm Hg in systolic pressure and 1.5 mm Hg in diastolic pressure (similar to previous data with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 [SGLT2] inhibitors) and sustained from the first weeks of the trial to its end, cannot be overlooked.
In patients with type 2 diabetes, blood-pressure reduction . . .