Published online Feb 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i2.137
Peer-review started: November 25, 2023
First decision: December 12, 2023
Revised: December 14, 2023
Accepted: January 16, 2024
Article in press: January 16, 2024
Published online: February 15, 2024
Processing time: 71 Days and 2.5 Hours
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have emerged as a pivotal intervention in diabetes management, offering significant cardiovascular benefits. Empagliflozin, in particular, has demonstrated cardioprotective effects beyond its glucose-lowering action, reducing heart failure hospitalizations and improving cardiac function. Of note, the cardioprotective mechanisms appear to be inde-pendent of glucose lowering, possibly mediated through several mechanisms involving shifts in cardiac metabolism and anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative pathways. This editorial summarizes the multifaceted cardiovascular advantages of SGLT2 inhibitors, highlighting the need for further research to elucidate their full therapeutic potential in cardiac care.
Core Tip: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors like empagliflozin offer cardioprotective benefits that extend beyond blood glucose control, improving heart function and reducing failure-related hospitalizations. Ongoing research is essential to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, potentially revolutionizing heart failure treatment across various patient profiles.