Efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in ameliorating anemia in heart failure patients: A randomized controlled trial

Context: Originally developed for managing type-2 diabetes mellitus, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors have demonstrated the potential to manage heart failure (HF) and its associated comorbidities. Aims: To evaluate the hematopoietic and glycemic effects of dapagliflozin in addition to the standard treatment for HF. Methods: An open-label randomized control study was conducted on 46 patients who were randomly allocated to either of the treatment regimens. Group A received standard HF treatment along with oral hypoglycemic agents (biguanides or sulfonylureas), while Group B received the standard treatment + dapagliflozin (10 mg once daily). Hematologic and glycemic parameters were assessed at baseline, 3rd month, and 6th month. Results: At baseline, no significant differences were observed between the groups. After 12 weeks, Group B showed a significant improvement in the glycemic parameters like postprandial plasma glucose, fasting plasma glucose, and hematological parameters, namely hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscularvolume, packed cell volume, and serum iron. At 24 weeks follow-up, further improvements in glycemic parameters, including HbA1c and hematologic parameters, such as serum iron, transferrin, and transferrin saturation, were observed. No significant changes in hematologic parameters while significant changes in glycemic parameters except HbA1c were noticed over 24 weeks of therapy in Group A. Conclusions: When used in conjunction with the standard treatment, dapagliflozin significantly improved glycemic control and alleviated anemia in HF patients.