ADDITION OF GLIFOZINE IN THE CARDIOLOGY OUTPATIENT SETTING: FOCUS ON BODY WEIGHT REDUCTION

Glyphozines (dapaglifozin and empaglifozin) have recently been made prescribable also for cardiologists in the setting of heart failure, diabetes mellitus and chronic renal failure. In clinical validation trials their use is associated with a poor reduction in body weight of between 1 and 2.5%.

To identify the benefit in terms of body weight reduction in outpatients after the addition of glyphozines.

N=59 patients (69% male) who received a new prescription for glifozine at the outpatient cardiology visit in January 2023 according to AIFA indications were included in the analysis. The average age was 73 ± 8 years, with average weight and BMI of 78.9 ± 13.2 Kg and 28.7 ± 3.9 Kg/m2. The anamnesis shows a history of: previous ACS in 66%, AF in 19%, CCS in 10% and VHD in 8%. The AIFA indications for prescription were: T2DM 47%, HFpEF 25%, HFrEF 20%, CKD 7%. Concomitant therapies were: BB 76%, Diuretics 61%, ARB 46%, MRA and CCB 20%, ACEIs 19%, ARNI 8%, Ivabradine 8%, Ranolazine 7%. At an average FU of 8.7 ± 2.9 months there was an overall average weight and BMI reduction of 4.7%. On univariate analysis there was no significant difference in weight reduction between HFrEF, HFpEF, T2DM and CKD. Patients in concomitant therapy with loop or thiazide diuretics (n=36) to which glyfozine was associated instead presented a greater reduction in weight and BMI compared to patients without diuretics (n=23): - 5.6 ± 3 .8% vs - 3.3 ± 4.8% (p=0.027).

The addition of glifozine in patients who undergo periodic cardiological control is associated with a greater reduction in body weight when associated with concomitant diuretic therapy.