Empagliflozin, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes (PubMed record)

Researchers randomly assigned 7,020 adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart or blood-vessel disease to take empagliflozin or a placebo, an inactive treatment, alongside their usual care. They followed people for about three years. Compared with the placebo, empagliflozin lowered deaths from heart or blood-vessel problems by about 38% and deaths from any cause by about 32%. It also reduced hospital stays for heart failure, when the heart cannot pump enough blood, by about 35%. The study tested people already at high heart risk, so its results may not apply equally to everyone with diabetes.

What this means for you: For people with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease, this is good evidence to discuss empagliflozin with a healthcare professional. It does not show that everyone with diabetes should take it, and cost, side effects, and other medicines still matter.