Gliflozins and their beneficial hypoglycaemic effect profile and prevention of cardiovascular complications in patients treated for type II diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) is a population disease, it is predicted that by 2030 the DM2 will affect 7% of the population. Patients due to progress of the disease in case of micro and macro angiovascular changes develop organ complications mainly in terms of cardiovascular disease (CV). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are relatively new group of drugs that apart from the hypoglycemic effect, also have other beneficial effects. Due to the scale and importance of the problem of diabetes complications researchers from around the world are working on its solution.

Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to present the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on cardiovascular complications in DM2 patients.

Methods and materials

We reviewed the literature contained in the PubMed database, using keywords: „Diabetes type 2”; „SGLT2 inhibitors”; „Cardiovascular disease”; „Heart failure”

Results: In addition to their hypoglycaemic effects, SGLT2 inhibitors have also been shown to have beneficial effects on the CV system. Studies have shown that in DM2 patients treated with gliflozins, the risk of hospitalisation for heart failure decreased by 35% and the risk of death from cardiovascular causes by 38%. Retrospective studies have been carried out in which the efficacy of all drugs in the group in question, and not just individual substances, has been proven. In clinical experiments, phlazines were confirmed to reduce the risk of CV complications, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, angina, stroke or atrial fibrillation.

Conclusions: SGLT2 drugs reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications and reduce hospitalisations for heart failure in patients with DM2. Future studies should seek to determine at what stage treatment should be implemented to maximise the resulting benefits to the patient.