Renal and systemic hemodynamic effects of empagliflozin: Three randomized, double blind, placebo controlled cross-over trials
Authors: Nielsen Steffen Flindt , Duus Camilla Lundgreen , Buus Niels Henrik , Bech Jesper Nørgaard , Mose Frank Holden 
Published: May 2024

Background

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). A decrease in renal blood flow (RBF) with attenuation of glomerular hyperfiltration may contribute to this. We examined renal and systemic hemodynamic effects of SGLT2i in relevant patient categories.

Methods

Using a double-blind placebo controlled cross-over design we randomized patients with DM2 and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >60 ml/min/1.73m2(n=16), patients with DM2 and eGFR 20-60 ml/min/1.73m2(n=17) and patients with non-diabetic CKD and eGFR 20-60 ml/min/1.73m2(n=16) to empagliflozin 10 mg daily or placebo for four weeks and crossed over to the opposite treatment after two-week washout. RBF was measured with82Rubidium positron emission tomography/computed tomography (82Rb-PET/CT), GFR as plasma clearance of99mTechnetium-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetate, while 24-hour blood pressure (BP) and total peripheral vascular resistance (TVR) were recorded using the commercially available Mobil-O-graph.

Results

Compared to placebo empagliflozin reduced RBF by 6% in the DM2-CKD group (p<0.001), while there were non-significant decreases of 4% in the DM2 group and 1% in the CKD group (p=0.29 and 0.72). Empagliflozin reduced GFR, BP and TVR in all groups. Although total renal vascular resistance (RVR) remained unchanged, calculations based on Gomez’ equations revealed a reduction of post-glomerular resistance in the DM2 and CKD groups.

Conclusion

Short-term empagliflozin treatment reduced RBF in patients with DM2 and CKD, whereas GFR, BP and TVR were reduced in all groups. The lack of reduction in total RVR together with a decrease in post-glomerular resistance and systemic BP suggest SGLT2i protect the glomerulus due to relative pre-glomerular vasoconstriction and post-glomerular vasodilation.

Registration

EU Clinical Trials Register 2019-004303-12, 2019-004447-80 and 2019-004467-50

Clinical Perspective

What is new?

This is the first study of the hemodynamic effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in diabetic and non-diabetic chronic kidney disease.

We found that the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin reduced renal blood flow in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Empagliflozin reduced blood pressure and total vascular resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes both with and without chronic kidney disease and in patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease.

What are the clinical implications?

This is the first time sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have been shown to decrease renal blood flow in patients with type 2 diabetes, corroborating the hypothesis that they exert clinical benefits through attenuation of hyperfiltration

Our findings suggest a combined pre- and post-glomerular hemodynamic response that may underlie the beneficial clinical effects.

The reduction in blood pressure and total peripheral resistance point to a novel vascular effect of empagliflozin that is present in both patients with and without type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney disease.