Drug used to reduce blood sugar in diabetic patients can benefit hearts
A drug used to treat people living with Type 2 diabetes could also help improve their heart function, according to new research.
An estimated 3.7 million people in the UK are diagnosed with the condition which can damage the walls of the arteries and lead to a heart attack or heart failure.
Researchers at the University of Leeds' School of Medicine have discovered that Empagliflozin, which is typically prescribed to help reduce blood sugar levels in patients with Type 2, could also enhance the function of their hearts.
It is crucial that we find new medicines which can not only reduce blood sugar levels but can also simultaneously protect the heart.
A study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, recruited 18 people living with Type 2 diabetes to take this medication on clinical grounds and they were monitored over three months.
The patients underwent MRI scans of their hearts, along with blood tests, before treatment. Their results were compared with people living without the condition and found that patients living with Type 2 diabetes typically had lower energy levels in their heart.
