Empagliflozin Provides Kidney Protection and Heart Failure Risk Reduction in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients

Recent research published in Nature Cardiovascular Research highlights the beneficial effects of empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, in patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction (MI). The study analyzed data from a multicenter clinical trial involving 6,522 patients at risk for heart failure, assessing the drug's impact on kidney function and cardiovascular outcomes.

The findings reveal that empagliflozin helps preserve kidney function over a 24-month period, as indicated by stable estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR), contrasting with a decline observed in the placebo group. This kidney-protective effect was consistent regardless of baseline kidney health, demonstrating empagliflozin's broad applicability.

Moreover, patients treated with empagliflozin experienced a significant reduction in heart failure admissions and all-cause mortality, underscoring its cardiovascular benefits. Importantly, the study confirmed that initiating empagliflozin shortly after an acute MI was safe, with comparable short-term adverse event rates between treatment groups.

The study was led by Rahul Aggarwal, M.D., from Harvard Medical School, with safety and efficacy data supported by the pharmaceutical companies Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly. These results suggest that empagliflozin not only aids in managing blood sugar levels but also offers vital renal and cardiovascular protection during the critical recovery phase after a heart attack.

This evidence supports the integration of empagliflozin into treatment protocols for acute MI patients, highlighting its potential to improve long-term outcomes through kidney preservation and heart failure risk reduction.

For more details, see the original publication at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44161-025-00657-7.

_source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-empagliflozin-kidney-effects-acute-myocardial.html