Empa-Reg, a global study presented at American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently suggested that a drug named Empagliflozin helps reduce the risk for new-onset or worsening kidney disease by 39 percent in people with type 2 diabetes with established cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Empa-Reg Outcome was a recently concluded global trial of more than 7,000 patients from 42 countries which included close to 163 patients enrolled from India with type 2 diabetes and established CVD.

Mumbai based endocrinologist Dr. Shashank Joshi said, “As per the results of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, Empagliflozin reduces the risk of cardiovascular death by 38 percent and hospitalization for heart failure by 35 percent in people with high risk type 2 diabetes. It also reduces the risk for new-onset or worsening kidney disease by 39 percent versus placebo when added to standard of care in people with type 2 diabetes with established cardiovascular disease. This is the new standard of care in effective diabetes management with a holistic approach towards patient care.”

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing globally and has reached epidemic proportions in many countries especially India.

Dr. Joshi highlighted an increased prevalence of CVD and kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes and the need for a paradigm shift in effective diabetes management. The findings of the latest Empa-Reg study suggests a significant reduction in the risk of progressive kidney disease in adults with type 2 diabetes with established CVD.

The study also revealed that 70 per cent of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 30 per cent of kidney disease cases were found in type 2 diabetes patients in Mumbai.

Kidney disease affects about 50 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes where as people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop CVD than people without diabetes due to factors such as such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure and obesity.

Dr Joshi explained that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious complications such as CVD, kidney problems or other serious health complications. The risk for cardiovascular events increases in patients with type 2 diabetes as they age. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in predominant number of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is known to be the number one reason for people requiring dialysis/renal transplant treatment. With the rapidly growing trend of diabetes in India which is fast gaining the reputation of a potential epidemic, there is a need for new treatments that may have the potential to help address this crucial medical need are necessary.

Indian Diabetics are often diagnosed late and have huge burden of cardiovascular and renal burden of complications which need effective early screening and treatment strategies.

Other highlights of the Empa-Reg Outcome trial are 35 percent reduction in hospitalization for heart failure (like symptoms of breathlessness and swelling over the feet where heart does not pump blood properly to different parts of the body), 32 percent reduction in all-cause death (means death due to any reason), 55 percent reduction in the initiation of kidney replacement therapy (such as dialysis),  44 percent reduction in doubling of creatinine (a waste product usually filtered by the kidneys) from the blood, 38 percent reduction in progression to macro-albuminuria (very high levels of a protein called albumin in the urine).