SGLT2-inhibiting diabetes drugs may help heart health in cancer patients
Diabetes drugs that inhibit the SGLT2 protein may help protect the heart and reduce hospital admissions for cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy, a new study suggests.
A type of diabetes drug called an SGLT2 inhibitor reduces the risk of heart failure and hospital admissions by more than 50 percent in cancer patients, with its strong effects particularly evident in breast cancer patients receiving a common chemotherapy drug called anthracycline.
Cancer is now a leading cause of premature death worldwide, and chemotherapy has played a major role in improving patient outcomes, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia in England. However, up to 20 percent of patients receiving chemotherapy develop heart problems, and up to 10 percent develop heart failure.
