Cardiovascular outcomes of SGLT-2 Inhibitors Across BMI Spectrum in Heart Failure Patients: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have shown efficacy in improving cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). However, their impact on HF patients with varying BMI levels remains uncertain. To explore potential interactions between baseline BMI and the cardiovascular benefits of SGLT-2 inhibitors, we conducted a systematic review of studies from PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library database spanning from inception to March 2024. Eligible studies reported cardiovascular outcomes according to baseline BMI in HF patients treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Ultimately, our analysis included four studies encompassing 20,723 patients. We conducted separate random-effects meta-analyses for the composite outcome of first hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) or cardiovascular death (CVD), total HHF, CVD, and all-cause mortality. Compared with placebo, SGLT-2 inhibitors significantly reduced the risk of the composite outcome of first HHF or CVD (HR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.72-0.83) and total HHF (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61-0.83), with consistent effects observed across different BMI categories (test for subgroup differences: P = 0.63 and P = 0.56, respectively). Furthermore, no statistical heterogeneity was found in the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors on CVD (P = 0.84, I 2 = 0%) as well as all-cause mortality (P = 0.52, I 2 = 0%) across each baseline BMI subgroup in HF patients. No significant difference in safety was found between the placebo and SGLT-2 inhibitor arms. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the cardiovascular benefits of SGLT-2 inhibitors appear to be independent of baseline BMI in HF patients.