The management of patients with heart failure (HF) has taken an interesting and exciting turn thanks to studies demonstrating the positive effects and growing utilization of newer glucose-lowering therapies for reduction of HF outcomes — namely glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists and oral sodium glucose cotransport 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. These findings have led to a “crossover” effect among specialties wherein many HF specialists now consider themselves essential members of the healthcare team for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D); likewise, many endocrinologists and nephrologists consider themselves integral to the care team of their patients with HF.
Many questions remain unanswered, however, regarding the therapeutic effects of GLP-1 agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors in HF. Here’s an overview of what we’ve learned so far about the potentially beneficial role of these therapies in treating patients with HF.