"Mount Sinai Researchers Discover That Diabetes Drug May Reverse Heart Failure"

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have demonstrated that the recently developed antidiabetic drug empagliflozin can treat and reverse the progression of heart failure in non-diabetic animal models. Their study also shows that this drug can make the heart produce more energy and function more efficiently. The results were published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology. “This drug could be a promising treatment for heart failure in both non-diabetic and diabetic patients,” said lead author, Juan Badimon, PhD, professor of cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Our research can lead to a potential application in humans, save lives, and improve quality of life.” The researchers also found that the drug addressed heart failure by improving cardiac metabolism. “This study confirmed our hypothesis that empagliflozin is an incredibly effective treatment for heart failure and not only an antidiabetic drug. Moreover, this study demonstrated that empagliflozin is useful for heart failure independently of a patient’s diabetic status,” explained study co-lead author Carlos Santos-Gallego, MD, postdoctoral fellow in the department of medicine in the division of cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

— Juan J. Badimon, PhD, Professor, Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Atherothrombosis Research Unit at the Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai Health System

— Carlos G. Santos-Gallego, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Medicine, Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

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Additional coverage: Environmental News Network;Science Daily;Medical Xpress; Journal of Invasive Cardiology Online; BioEngineer; LongRoom