Heart failure drug cuts complications after heart attack in patients with preserved heart function
In a study of 230 heart-attack patients treated with catheter intervention who had normal heart-squeezing ability, those given SGLT2 inhibitors (empagliflozin or dapagliflozin) showed lower rates of new heart-failure diagnosis and death over 18 months than those not given these drugs.
Why it matters: Heart failure after heart attack remains a major clinical problem; this finding suggests a drug class may offer additional protection beyond standard care in a specific patient group.
Keep in mind: This retrospective study assigned drugs based on what physicians prescribed at discharge, not random assignment, so differences in outcomes could reflect physician selection rather than drug effects alone.
AI-assisted explanation based on the supplied abstract. Read the linked source for full context.
What this changes
The finding has not established an approved change to our evidence assessment.
Source date: Aug 15, 2026 · Discovered: Sep 22, 2026 · Assessed: — · Research update
What it does not prove
- Limitations have not yet been verified. Read the primary source.
Extracted from supplied source material; model confidence is not a measured probability of correctness.
Study details
- Design
- Cohort
- Sample size
- 230
- Duration
- 18 months
- Population
- Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 50%) and no prior heart failure history
- Primary outcome
- Occurrence of new-onset heart failure (HF) events
- Effect size
- For new-onset HF: 6.09% vs. 15.65%, P=0.020; for all-cause mortality: 3.48% vs. 10.43%, P=0.038; for cardiovascular mortality: 1.74% vs. 9.57%, P=0.010; for MACE: 7.83% vs. 18.26%, P=0.019. Multivariable Cox regression: HR 0.583 (95% CI, 0.371-0.916; P=0.017)
- Significance
- Significant
- Journal
- American journal of translational research
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
Sources
Primary source
- American journal of translational research ↗Peer reviewed
Assessment history
9/24/2026 · SUPERSEDED: Source updated; assessment withdrawn pending review.
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