Can a Shift in Fuel Energetics Explain the Beneficial Cardiorenal Outcomes in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME Study? A Unifying Hypothesis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus causes excessive morbidity and premature cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Although tight glycemic control improves microvascular complications, its effects on macrovascular complications are unclear. The recent publication of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME study documenting impressive benefits with empagliflozin (a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 [SGLT2] inhibitor) on CV and all-cause mortality and hospitalization for heart failure without any effects on classic atherothrombotic events is puzzling. More puzzling is that the curves for heart failure hospitalization, renal outcomes, and CV mortality begin to separate widely within 3 months and are maintained for >3 years. Modest improvements in…