In light of EMPA-REG OUTCOME, CANVAS Program and DECLARE trials, we aim to elucidate the impact of SGLT2 inhibition on peripheral vascular function while also exploring the effects of this therapy on renal function, fluid volume, neurohormonal activation and inflammatory/fibrotic pathways in patients with T2D at high cardiovascular risk to best replicate the patient populations in recent cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOT), who are also participating in ongoing CVOTs such as VERTIS (ertugliflozin), as well as non-T2D patients in other ongoing trials examining cardiorenal effects of these therapies. We will test the hypothesis that in a high- risk population, regardless of T2D status, SGLT2 inhibition will improve markers of arterial stiffness (decreases in pulse wave velocity and augmentation index) in the study cohort - a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk independent of glucose lowering. In addition, dapagliflozin will improve endothelial function (flow-mediated vasodilatation - FMD) and increase natriuresis (fractional excretion of sodium or FENa+), thereby reducing blood pressure, without inducing renal vasoconstriction or activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Based on extensive experimental literature, we also hypothesize that SGLT2 inhibition will suppress levels of pro-inflammatory/fibrotic mediators (see below) that have been linked with progression of cardiovascular and renal disease. The systematic understanding of the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in the setting of patients at high cardiovascular risk will enable the design of rational physiology-based strategies to decrease the burden of cardiorenal disease, which could have important clinical and research implications. Data from DAPA-SWEET will also be valuable to better understand the results of trials that include patients using SGLT2 inhibitors as primary prevention strategies, such as in DECLARE TIMI-58.
This study aims to elucidate the impact of SGLT2 inhibition on peripheral vascular function, renal function, fluid volume, neurohormonal activation and inflammatory/fibrotic pathways in patients with T2D at high cardiovascular risk and non-T2D patients.