Doctors revealed that a diabetes drug could revolutionize the treatment and reduce deaths from heart disease by more than half, as they were revealed yesterday.
Half of heart failure patients have ‘reduced ejection fraction’, where the heart is unable to pump blood round the body due to a mechanical issue.
And half have ‘preserved ejection fraction’, where the heart pumps blood well but cannot provide oxygen to all the parts of the body.
Professor Vass Vassiliou, who led the study, said: ‘Preserved ejection fraction had puzzled doctors, as every medicine tested showed no benefit’
It was known already that medications called SGLT2 inhibits were used in diabetes treatment. They can help with a lower ejection fraction.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia discovered that the same drugs could be effective in treating preserved ejection fraction.
Professor Vass Vassiliou, who led the study, said: ‘Preserved ejection fraction had puzzled doctors, as every medicine tested showed no benefit.
‘This is the first medication that can really improve the outcomes for this group and it will revolutionise the treatment offered to heart failure patients.’
The UEA researchers hope that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (the drug watchdog) will take into consideration the results and approve SGLT2 inhibitors for NHS use by patients with preserved ejectionfraction.
SGLT2 inhibitors are commonly known as their trade names Forxiga, Invokana and Jardiance (Empagliflozin).
It does not necessarily mean that the heart is failing. The heart just requires support in order to function better.
SGL2 inhibitors are used to treat diabetes but researchers have now found they can transform the treatment of heart failure
This condition can affect anyone, but it is more common among older adults. A long-term condition, heart failure tends to worsen over time.
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Heart failure is a devastating illness that affects almost a million people in the UK alone.
‘In some patients, heart failure develops because the heart does not relax properly between each heartbeat, and this is called heart failure with preserved heart function.
‘This type of heart failure is becoming more common and is particularly difficult to treat.
‘Research into sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, a type of drug initially developed to treat people with type 2 diabetes, had previously shown benefits for patients with heart failure and reduced heart function.
‘This new analysis of clinical trials suggests that these drugs may also help patients with heart failure and preserved heart function.
‘This is the first time that a drug has really been found to reduce death and hospital admissions in this type of heart failure.’