Popular diabetes drug shown to lower inflammation, which may protect the heart
For the first time in a human trial, a class of drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, already known for their weight-loss and glucose-lowering benefits, has also been shown to reduce inflammatory cells in the blood known to cause cardiovascular disease. The findings were published in Circulation.
A new study has revealed that the popular diabetes drug empagliflozin may offer additional cardiovascular benefits beyond its known weight-loss and glucose-lowering effects. Researchers found that the drug significantly reduces inflammatory cells in the blood, which are linked to heart disease. This is the first time such an immune effect has been observed in humans.
The study, published in the journal Circulation, involved 16 women with obesity and prediabetes who were treated with empagliflozin for three months. At the end of the trial, the researchers discovered a significant decrease in monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs) in the blood. MPAs are cell aggregates formed when blood-clotting cells (platelets) stick to immune cells (monocytes) and are known to contribute to vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
The reduction in MPAs was most pronounced two weeks into the treatment, and the effect continued to strengthen by week 12. Importantly, only the group receiving the medication experienced this reduction, suggesting that the drug's cardiovascular benefits extend beyond simple weight loss.
The researchers also observed a shift in the metabolic state of the patients' monocytes, moving from a hyperinflammatory state to a healthier, more stable state focused on normal cellular energy. This metabolic reprogramming of the immune cells is a promising indication that empagliflozin may help protect the heart in individuals with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
The study's lead author, Dr. Mona Mashayekhi, emphasizes the significance of these findings, stating that they provide the first direct evidence of SGLT2 inhibitors altering human immune cells at the cellular level. Understanding how these medications reduce obesity-associated inflammation, heart disease, and kidney disease could help identify the best patients for this treatment and uncover other drug targets in the same pathway that may be beneficial.
The research team is now conducting a larger, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 74 participants with obesity and metabolic syndrome. This study will also analyze adipose tissue (fat) to gain a better understanding of obesity-associated inflammation.
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