A groundbreaking study has identified sotagliflozin, a medication already used for type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, as a potential game-changer in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Conducted under the SCORED trial, this research analyzed data from participants with these conditions who also faced heightened cardiovascular risks. The findings revealed a 32% reduction in heart attack incidences and a 34% decrease in stroke occurrences among those treated with sotagliflozin.
Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, spearheaded the study. He serves as the director of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and holds the Dr. Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine position at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The study's results suggest that sotagliflozin's effectiveness may stem from its dual action on SGLT1 and SGLT2 receptors, setting it apart from typical SGLT2 inhibitors which primarily address heart failure and kidney disease progression.
“The SCORED trial examined patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and additional cardiovascular risks, because of the known high rate of cardiac problems these people face,” said Deepak L. Bhatt.
The study's conclusions could be significant for the one in three individuals with type 2 diabetes who also suffer from chronic kidney disease. Despite existing treatments, these patients remain at high risk for cardiovascular events. Sotagliflozin's unique receptor action might offer an additional safeguard against these risks.
Michael Broukhim, MD, highlighted the importance of SGLT2 inhibitors in treating heart failure but pointed to sotagliflozin's potential added benefits.
“SGLT2 inhibitors have become an important part of our treatment of patients with heart failure,” said Michael Broukhim. “If sotagliflozin has the added benefit of reduction in myocardial infarction and stroke, we may wish to use this agent more to treat high-risk patients.”
Broukhim advocates for further comparative studies to validate sotagliflozin's benefits over other similar medications.
“I would like to see more data differentiating the actions of an SGLT2 inhibitor and an agent that inhibits both SGLT1 and SGLT2, including some comparative effectiveness research to see if there is a true difference between the various agents that we are utilizing,” he noted.
This study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, underscores sotagliflozin's potential as a valuable addition to treatment options for patients grappling with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and associated heart risks. Smaller-scale experiments are underway to further explore the biological mechanisms at play in blocking SGLT1 receptors and the subsequent impact on reducing heart attacks and strokes.
“In the meantime, smaller basic science experiments are ongoing to examine the biological actions of blocking SGLT1 receptors that may explain sotagliflozin’s unique ability (among the SGLT inhibitor class of drugs) to reduce heart attack and stroke risk,” explained Broukhim.
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