Empagliflozin improves insulin sensitivity in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome and newly detected dysglycaemia : Experiences from the randomized, controlled SOCOGAMI trial.

BACKGROUND: Empagliflozin reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and high cardiovascular risk via mechanisms which have not been fully explained. The mechanisms of such benefit have not been fully understood, and whether empagliflozin can be safely administered as first-line treatment in patients with CVD at the initial stages of glycaemic perturbations remains to be established. We investigated the effects of empagliflozin on insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity and ß-cell function indexes in patients with a recent acute coronary event and newly detected dysglycaemia, i.e., impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or T2DM. METHODS: Forty-two patients (mean age 67.5 years, 19% females) with a recent myocardial infarction (n = 36) or unstable angina (n = 6) and newly detected dysglycaemia were randomized to either empagliflozin 25 mg daily (n = 20) or placebo (n = 22). Patients were investigated with stress-perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging before randomization, 7 months after the start of study drug and 3 months following its cessation. Indexes of insulin resistance, sensitivity and ß-cell function were calculated based on glucose and insulin values from 2-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and fasting C-peptide. The differences in glucose, insulin, C-peptide, mannose levels and indexes between the two groups were computed by repeated measures ANOVA including an interaction term between the treatment allocation and the time of visit. RESULTS: After 7 months, empagliflozin significantly decreased glucose and insulin values during the OGTT, whereas C-peptide, mannose and HbA1c did not differ. Empagliflozin significantly improved insulin sensitivity indexes but did not impact insulin resistance and ß-cell function. After cessation of the drug, all indexes returned to initial levels. Insulin sensitivity indexes were inversely correlated with left ventricular mass at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Empagliflozin improved insulin sensitivity indexes in patients with a recent coronary event and drug naïve dysglycaemia. These findings support the safe use of empagliflozin as first-line glucose-lowering treatment in patients at very high cardiovascular risk with newly diagnosed dysglycaemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: EudraCT number 2015-004571-73.

SOdium-glucose CO-transporter inhibition in patients with newly detected Glucose Abnormalities and a recent Myocardial Infarction (SOCOGAMI).

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Established dysglycaemia (impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] or type 2 diabetes [T2DM]) is a risk factor for further cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce this risk. The aim of the present investigation was to test the hypothesis that empagliflozin exerts beneficial effects on myocardial function in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome and newly detected dysglycaemia. METHODS: Forty-two patients (mean age 67.5 years, 81 % male) with recent myocardial infarction (n = 36) or unstable angina (n = 6) and newly detected IGT (n = 27) or T2DM (n = 15) were randomised to 25 mg of empagliflozin daily (n = 20) or placebo (n = 22) on top of ongoing therapy. They were investigated with oral glucose tolerance tests, stress-perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and echocardiography at three occasions: before randomisation, after seven months on study drug and three months following cessation of such drug. Primary outcome was a change in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and secondary outcomes were a change in a) systolic and diastolic LV function; b) coronary flow reserve; c) myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) in non-infarcted myocardium; d) aortic pulse wave velocity. RESULTS: Empagliflozin induced a significant decrease in fasting and post load glucose (p < 0.05) and body weight (p < 0.01). Empagliflozin did not influence LVEDV, LV systolic or mass indexes, coronary flow reserve, ECV or aortic pulse wave velocity. Echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic function (E/e' and mitral E/A ratio) were not influenced. No safety concerns were identified. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Empagliflozin had predicted effects on the dysglycaemia but did not influence variables expressing LV function, coronary flow reserve and ECV. An explanation may be that the LV function of the patients was within the normal range.

The Accuracy of Point-of-Care Equipment for Glucose Measurement in Screening for Dysglycemia in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care equipment for measuring glucose saves time and costs for both patients and professionals and minimizes preanalytic errors when screening for or managing dysglycemia, that is, impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes. The accuracy of such devices has, however, been questioned compared with analyses at an accredited hospital laboratory. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the agreement between glucose measurements made by the point-of-care HemoCue® Glucose 201 RT System (HemoCue, Ängelholm, Sweden) and local hospital laboratories. MATERIAL: Patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) recruited in Sweden and the United Kingdom within the auspices of the European Action on Secondary and primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events (EUROASPIRE) V survey (n = 87; 18-80 years) with or without previously known dysglycemia were investigated. Plasma glucose values collected in the fasting state (n = 85) and 60 (n = 57) and 120 (n = 72) min after a glucose load were analyzed both using HemoCue monitors and local hospital laboratories. The two measurement techniques were compared using a bias plot according to Bland-Altman, the surveillance error grid, and Spearman correlation test. RESULTS: The bias plot method showed small differences between the HemoCue and local hospital laboratory methods, the HemoCue and central hospital laboratory, and the local hospital laboratories and the central hospital laboratory. In the surveillance error grid, 98.6% of the values were in the deep green zone, indicating no risk and the remaining values (1.4%) were within the light green zone, indicating "slight lower risk." CONCLUSION: The HemoCue point-of-care system is accurate for dysglycemia screening in patients with CAD.