Dapagliflozin did not reduce heart chamber mass overall in dialysis
Over six months, heart chamber muscle mass, adjusted for body size, rose 4.5 grams per square meter with dapagliflozin versus 8.0 with placebo.
220 participants, 6 months, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter
Limit: Only 142 participants had evaluable six-month scans
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
The randomized, double-blind trial enrolled 220 people with kidney failure receiving maintenance hemodialysis, a blood-filtering procedure, and thickened muscle in the left ventricle, the heart’s main pumping chamber. Their reported age was 65 years; 26% were women and 42% had type 2 diabetes. They received dapagliflozin, 10 milligrams once daily, or placebo for six months.
The researchers found no overall reduction in chamber muscle mass adjusted for body size. The adjusted difference was −3.7 grams per square meter; the range of likely values included no difference. A prespecified analysis linked dapagliflozin to lower chamber muscle mass versus placebo only in patients producing more than 200 milliliters of urine daily. This suggested remaining kidney function may be required for structural benefits. One dapagliflozin recipient and two placebo recipients died during follow-up.
Why it matters
Heart health matters for healthy aging. The trial addressed whether dapagliflozin’s cardiovascular benefits across other levels of kidney function extend to people receiving dialysis.
Caveats
The main outcome measured heart structure, not cardiovascular events, and only 142 participants had evaluable six-month scans. Reported in a congress abstract, the findings concern patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis with thickened heart muscle.