Cardiovascular Benefit of SGLT2 Inhibitors in the Therapeutics of Diabetes Mellitus: A Close Look beyond the Horizon

Cardiovascular complications are among the main reasons for the high morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes, making the management of cardiovascular complications an integral component in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Along the same line, the US Food and Drug Administration mandated all new diabetic drugs and therapies have a safe cardiovascular profile. Among various drugs available for the treatment against type 2 diabetes, the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors represent a class of newly developed anti-diabetic agents with properties of mitigating cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Evidence from clinical trials has suggested that the SGLT2 inhibitors empagliflozin and canagliflozin are capable of reducing the overall risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in type 2 diabetic patients. In this mini-review, we will briefly discuss the various cardiovascular benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors, and the underlying mechanisms involved.