Cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is associated with impaired cardiac function and reduced exercise capacity even in the absence of overt heart failure, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality despite available cardioprotective therapies. To address this gap, a study evaluated the effects of empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, on cardiac function and cardiorespiratory fitness at rest and during exercise in 65 patients with T2DM.
The study found that no significant between-group difference was observed in the primary outcome of change in peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak). However, empagliflozin treatment significantly reduced resting left ventricular end-diastolic volume by 9.508 ± 14.54 mL, whereas placebo was associated with an increase of 2.13 ± 20.73 mL, suggesting favorable…
