Ertugliflozin does not increase a type 2 diabetes (TD2) patient’s risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death, according to new findings presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 80th Virtual Scientific Sessions.
The VERTIS CV Study tracked the performance of ertugliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor typically prescribed to improve glycemic control, and a placebo in more than 8,000 adult T2D patients. Participants were randomly assigned to take either ertugliflozin or a placebo, with researchers following up for up to six years to note major adverse cardiovascular events.
Overall, the researchers found, patients who received the ertugliflozin and the placebo had “similar rates” of non-fatal heart attacks, non-fatal strokes and cardiovascular deaths. Patients from the ertugliflozin group did have a lower hospitalization rate for heart failure.
“While we hypothesized that we would have shown more significant preventive cardiovascular benefits, the overall pattern of benefit is consistent with what has been seen with other drugs in this class,” Christopher Cannon, MD, lead VERTIS-CV researcher and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in statement. “Our research supports the recent guideline updates indicating the use of this class of drugs for patients with diabetes who have prior atherosclerotic heart disease, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease. Patients with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease should discuss with their doctor whether SGLT2 inhibitors may be appropriate for their treatment.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.