According to new research, a commonly prescribed diabetes drug called dapagliflozin can be used to treat heart disease.
Dapagliflozin, sold under the brand name Farxiga, is a ‘sodium-glucose co-transporter-2’ inhibitor, which is prescribed to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found that dapagliflozin, a drug that controls blood glucose levels, can also reduce the risk of heart conditions or even death by nearly 25 percent. They also found that the drug reduces the risk of death by 17 percent in patients with a history of heart failure.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined more than 4,700 patients with heart failure and heart disease. Among these participants, 45 percent of them had type 2 diabetes. The researchers gave dapagliflozin 10mg once daily to one group and a placebo to another group.
The scientists found that the patients had a 26 percent reduced risk of heart failure with dapagliflozin treatment.
Lead study author Dr. John McMurray of the University of Glasgow said, “These are really once in a lifetime findings that show that a commonly prescribed drug for diabetes can effectively be used to treat people with heart failure.”
“Probably the most important finding of all is that dapagliflozin was associated with benefit in patients without diabetes,” added Dr. McMurray. “With dapagliflozin, we did the three things you want to do for the patient in the ideal world – make them feel better, keep them out of hospital and keep them alive. That’s why we’re so delighted with the results.” “Adverse events rarely required the discontinuation of treatment,” added Dr. McMurray. “There was no notable excess of any serious adverse event in the dapagliflozin group.”
