Diabetes Medication May Help in the Treatment of Heart Disease

• A recent study shows that type 2 diabetes medication also protects the heart against disease.
• This study shows that diabetes medication influences circular progenitor cells (repair cells) and inflammatory cells. This, in turn, reduces the patient’s chance of getting heart disease.
• Diabetes patients are prone to heart disease and such a side effect of the medication is good for their health. Not only that, but the researchers also wonder if it can be administered to heart patients that don’t have diabetes.

About the Research

Findings from the EMPA-HEART CardioLink-6 Trial suggest that diabetes medication protects diabetics from heart disease. This research is led by a team from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Aside from the hospital the research also has the support of the European Society of Cardiology.

Diabetes Medication and Heart Disease

The research was presented at the 2019 ESC Congress and you can access it from the journal Cell Metabolism. Those findings show that empagliflozin decreases the risk of heart disease because it reduces inflammation and repairs blood vessels.

Empagliflozin is a diabetes medication that belongs to the group known as SGLT2 inhibitors. This drug helps lower blood sugar for individuals with Type 2 diabetes. The researchers show that diabetes patients have a lower number of reparation cells in their blood. However, if they take this medication then the number of the reparation cells increases.

Besides this, the research also shows that there is a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation. This also happens when the patient uses the medication. Both of those factors benefit the patient and this can be true for none diabetics as well.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.6 million deaths in 2016 have a diabetes-related issue as a cause. Among those issues are different heart-related complications. That is why the findings from this study have the potential to help in the medical treatment of heart failure.

Limitation

• Even though this medication benefits the patient’s health, more research needs to be done. Mostly because we do not know what other effects the medication has on diabetic patients. Or for that matter, how none diabetic patients would react.

Related Article: tRNA Mutations May Play a Key Role in the Development of Diseases.

Sources

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/smh-dms083019.php

http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/