VIDEO: Newer type 2 diabetes drugs pose no significant heart failure risk

LONDON – Neither the GLP-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide nor the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin significantly increased the risk of heart failure or associated hospitalizations in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to data from two large cardiovascular safety trials.

Further analysis from ELIXA (Evaluation of Lixisenatide [Lyxumia] in Acute Coronary Syndrome) showed that the hazard ratios for several secondary heart failure endpoints were 1.00 or below. Although the risk for heart failure hospitalization was found to be nine times higher in patients who had a prior history of heart failure than in those who did not, there was there was no difference between treatment with the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) agonist or placebo.

The findings add to those already presented in June at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association from the 6,068-patient trial, which enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes who had experienced an acute coronary syndrome within the past 6 months.

Other reassuring data on the safety of newer diabetes medicines came from an updated analysis of TECOS (Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin [Januvia]). The time to first hospitalization for heart failure did not differ between the placebo and sitagliptin arms, and there were no differences between the treatments in terms of hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure or all-cause death with the DPP-4 (dipeptyl peptidase 4) inhibitor. TECOS enrolled nearly 15,000 patients with type 2 diabetes and concurrent cardiovascular disease who were aged 50 years or older and the primary findings have been published (N Engl J Med. 2015 July 15;373:232-42).

These trials provide accumulating evidence that there is no heart failure risk with these particular diabetes medications, Dr. Lars Rydén, professor of cardiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, commented in an interview at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Rydén added that the trial results everyone is waiting to hear about concern the cardiovascular safety of the selective sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor empagliflozin (Jardiance).

Advance information issued by manufacturer Boehringer-Ingelheim suggests that this drug actually may lower cardiovascular risk in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events, Dr. Rydén observed. “Now, if that is true, it is the only modern glucose-lowering drug to have shown such a capacity.” Results of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME study will be presented in September at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Stockholm.