Treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors can help keep patients with heart failure out of hospital and protect against cardiovascular disease, regardless of diabetes status, a new analysis shows.

Although the cardioprotective benefits offered by gliflozins in patients with type 2 diabetes is well established, evidence is still emerging regarding their utility outside of the glycaemic control setting, international researchers say.

In an independent systematic review and meta-analysis, the China and UK-led team used data from eight randomised controlled trials to assess the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in 15,000 adults diagnosed with heart failure (HF), with or without diabetes.

Overall, treatment with dapagliflozin, empagliflozin or canagliflozin cut the risk of cardiovascular death by 14% at one year, the authors reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.