Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an underrecognized cause of heart failure among older adults, in which misfolded transthyretin (TTR) proteins build up in the muscle tissue of the heart. In 2018, a drug called tafamidis was proven to stabilize the protein and protect people from further damage, and in 2019, it was approved for use in ATTR-CM by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But while people with ATTR-CM are living longer, they continue to suffer from symptoms of heart failure and cardiorenal syndrome as the disease progresses. Sodium glucose co-transporter inhibitors (SGLT2i) are drugs used to treat diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. They may also reduce systemic inflammation, and affect body composition (fat, lean mass, and total water contents) in patients with heart failure, a condition which also has significant overlap with obesity. No one has explored the safety, tolerability, and clinical effects of SGLT2i in patients with heart failure due to ATTR-CM.
This is a single center, single arm, prospective, 12 week open label pilot trial of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), empagliflozin 10 mg oral daily, in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). The target population for enrollment will be subjects with ATTR-CM and either non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease. The primary aim will be to assess the safety and tolerability of empagliflozin 10 mg oral daily in subjects with heart failure secondary to ATTR, which remain unexplored. The accrual target is 15 subjects. Consented subjects will be evaluated for safety and tolerability of study drug, empagliflozin 10 mg oral daily, over a period of 12 weeks. Subjects will undergo a total of 6 study visits: 3 in-person and 3 telephone follow-ups.