Mediators of ertugliflozin effects on heart failure and kidney outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) and composite kidney outcomes, but the mediators underlying these benefits are unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Among participants from VERTIS CV, a trial of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease randomized to ertugliflozin versus placebo, Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the percentage mediation of ertugliflozin efficacy on the first HHF and kidney composite outcome in 26 potential mediators. Time-dependent approaches were used to evaluate associations between early (change from baseline to the first post-baseline measurement) and average (weighted average of change from baseline using all post-baseline measurements) changes in covariates with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

For the HHF analyses, early changes in four biomarkers (haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum albumin and urate) and average changes in seven biomarkers (early biomarkers + weight, chloride and serum protein) were identified as fulfilling the criteria as mediators of ertugliflozin effects on the risk of HHF. Similar results were observed for the composite kidney outcome, with early changes in four biomarkers (glycated haemoglobin, haemoglobin, haematocrit and urate), and average changes in five biomarkers [early biomarkers (not glycated haemoglobin) + weight, serum albumin] mediating the effects of ertugliflozin on the kidney outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

In these analyses from the VERTIS CV trial, markers of volume status and haemoconcentration and/or haematopoiesis were the strongest mediators of the effect of ertugliflozin on reducing risk of HHF and composite kidney outcomes in the early and average change periods.

GOV IDENTIFIER

NCT01986881.

Cardiorenal outcomes with ertugliflozin assessed according to baseline glucose-lowering agent: An analysis from VERTIS CV

AIM

To assess selected cardiorenal outcomes with ertugliflozin according to use of baseline glucose-lowering agent.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

VERTIS CV was a cardiovascular (CV) outcome trial for ertugliflozin versus placebo, conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic CV disease. The primary outcome was time to the first event of CV death, myocardial infarction or stroke (major adverse CV events [MACE]), with other CV outcomes also assessed. Outcomes were analysed using Cox proportional hazards models stratified by baseline use of metformin, insulin, sulphonylureas (SUs) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, with interaction testing to assess for treatment effect modification. Changes from baseline in glycaemic, metabolic and haemodynamic variables were also assessed.

RESULTS

Of 8246 randomized patients, at baseline 6286 (76%) were on metformin, 3898 (47%) were on insulin, 3383 (41%) were on SUs and 911 (11%) were on DPP-4 inhibitors, alone or in combination therapy (67% used >1 glucose-lowering agent at baseline). For each glucose-lowering agent evaluated, no evidence for effect modification was observed for MACE by baseline use of metformin (with: hazard ratio [HR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.790, 1.073; without: 1.13, 95% CI 0.867, 1.480), insulin (with: HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.765, 1.092; without: 1.06, 95% CI 0.867, 1.293), SUs (with: HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.890, 1.388; without: 0.90, 95% CI 0.761, 1.060) or DPP-4 inhibitors (with: HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.502, 1.173; without: 1.00, 95% CI 0.867, 1.147) (all P_interaction  > 0.05). Similar results were observed for all secondary outcomes analysed.

CONCLUSION

In VERTIS CV, the effects of ertugliflozin on cardiorenal outcomes were consistent across subgroups of patients stratified by baseline glucose-lowering agent.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov identifier: NCT01986881.

Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Risk in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Insights From the DCCT/EDIC Study

Background

Hyperglycemia leading to increased oxidative stress is implicated in the increased risk for the development of macrovascular and microvascular complications in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Methods and Results

A random subcohort of 349 participants was selected from the DCCT / EDIC (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications) cohort. This included 320 controls and 29 cardiovascular disease cases that were augmented with 98 additional known cases to yield a case cohort of 447 participants (320 controls, 127 cases). Biosamples from DCCT baseline, year 1, and closeout of DCCT , and 1 to 2 years post‐ DCCT ( EDIC years 1 and 2) were measured for markers of oxidative stress, including plasma myeloperoxidase, paraoxonase activity, urinary F 2α isoprostanes, and its metabolite, 2,3 dinor‐8 iso prostaglandin F 2α . Following adjustment for glycated hemoblobin and weighting the observations inversely proportional to the sampling selection probabilities, higher paraoxonase activity, reflective of antioxidant activity, and 2,3 dinor‐8 iso prostaglandin F 2α , an oxidative marker, were significantly associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (−4.5% risk for 10% higher paraoxonase, P <0.003; −5.3% risk for 10% higher 2,3 dinor‐8 iso prostaglandin F 2α , P =0.0092). In contrast, the oxidative markers myeloperoxidase and F 2α isoprostanes were not significantly associated with cardiovascular disease after adjustment for glycated hemoblobin. There were no significant differences between DCCT intensive and conventional treatment groups in the change in all biomarkers across time segments.

Conclusions

Heightened antioxidant activity (rather than diminished oxidative stress markers) is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in type 1 diabetes mellitus, but these biomarkers did not change over time with intensification of glycemic control.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL : https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifiers: NCT 00360815 and NCT 00360893.

Efficacy and safety of the addition of ertugliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled with metformin and sitagliptin: The VERTIS SITA2 placebo-controlled randomized study

AIMS

To assess ertugliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes who are inadequately controlled by metformin and sitagliptin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this double-blind randomized study (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02036515), patients (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] 7.0% to 10.5% [53-91 mmol/mol] receiving metformin ≥1500 mg/d and sitagliptin 100 mg/d; estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) were randomized to ertugliflozin 5 mg once-daily, 15 mg once-daily or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline in HbA1c at Week 26; treatment was continued until Week 52.

RESULTS

A total of 464 patients were randomized (mean baseline HbA1c, 8.0% [64.3 mmol/mol]; eGFR, 87.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 ). After 26 weeks, placebo-adjusted least squares (LS) mean changes in HbA1c from baseline were -0.7% (-7.5 mmol/mol) and -0.8% (-8.3 mmol/mol) for ertugliflozin 5 and 15 mg, respectively (both P < .001); 17.0%, 32.1% and 39.9% of patients receiving placebo, ertugliflozin 5 mg or ertugliflozin 15 mg, respectively, had HbA1c <7.0% (53 mmol/mol). Significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose, body weight (BW) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were observed with ertugliflozin relative to placebo. The positive effects of ertugliflozin on glycaemic control, BW and SBP were maintained through Week 52. A higher incidence of genital mycotic infections was observed in male and female patients receiving ertugliflozin (3.7%-14.1%) vs placebo (0%-1.9%) through Week 52. The incidence of urinary tract infections, symptomatic hypoglycaemia and hypovolaemia adverse events were not meaningfully different across groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Ertugliflozin added to metformin and sitagliptin was well-tolerated, and provided clinically meaningful, durable glycaemic control, BW and SBP reductions vs placebo over 52 weeks.

Effect of once-weekly dulaglutide on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose in patient subpopulations by gender, duration of diabetes and baseline HbA1c

AIMS

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dulaglutide 1.5 and 0.75 mg in patients with type 2 diabetes by subgroups of gender, duration of diabetes and baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in the dulaglutide clinical development programme (AWARD-1 to -6 and -8 clinical trials).

METHODS

Change in HbA1c was analysed by gender, duration of diabetes (<5, ≥5 years and <10, ≥10 years), and baseline HbA1c (<8.5%, ≥8.5%) in pooled and individual studies. Changes from baseline in weight, hypoglycaemia and gastrointestinal adverse events were evaluated for individual trials.

RESULTS

In the pooled analysis of patients treated with dulaglutide 1.5 mg at 6 months, the reductions in HbA1c from baseline were similar across gender (men: least squares [LS] mean -1.26% [95% confidence interval {CI} -1.36, -1.16]; women: LS mean -1.33% [95% CI -1.43, -1.24]) and among duration of diabetes subgroups (<5 years: LS mean -1.32% [95% CI -1.43, -1.22]; ≥5 and <10 years: LS mean -1.33% [95% CI -1.43, -1.22]; ≥10 years: -1.24% [95% CI -1.35, -1.14]). Patients with baseline HbA1c ≥8.5% had greater HbA1c reductions than patients with baseline HbA1c <8.5%, (≥8.5%: LS mean -1.86% [95% CI -1.97, -1.75]; <8.5%: LS mean -1.02% [95% CI -1.12, -0.93]). Reductions in fasting blood glucose (FBG) were consistent with HbA1c changes. Similar results were observed with dulaglutide 0.75 mg. In general, body weight changes were similar among duration of diabetes and in baseline HbA1c subgroups, respectively; women had a numerically greater weight loss or less weight gain than men with both dulaglutide doses. There was no clinically meaningful difference in hypoglycaemia trends by gender or duration of diabetes. Hypoglycaemia incidence and rate were generally lower in patients with baseline HbA1c ≥8.5% than in those with <8.5%, except for the AWARD-4 study (combination with mealtime insulin).

CONCLUSIONS

Across the AWARD studies, dulaglutide demonstrated significant improvements in glycaemic control irrespective of gender, duration of diabetes, or baseline HbA1c, with greater HbA1c and FBG reductions in patients with a higher baseline HbA1c. Dulaglutide was well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to other glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.

Comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension: mechanisms and approach to target organ protection

Up to 75% of adults with diabetes also have hypertension, and patients with hypertension alone often show evidence of insulin resistance. Thus, hypertension and diabetes are common, intertwined conditions that share a significant overlap in underlying risk factors (including ethnicity, familial, dyslipidemia, and lifestyle determinants) and complications. These complications include microvascular and macrovascular disorders. The macrovascular complications, which are well recognized in patients with longstanding diabetes or hypertension, include coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease. Although microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) are conventionally linked to hyperglycemia, studies have shown that hypertension constitutes an important risk factor, especially for nephropathy. The familial predisposition to diabetes and hypertension appears to be polygenic in origin, which militates against the feasibility of a "gene therapy" approach to the control or prevention of these conditions. On the other hand, the shared lifestyle factors in the etiology of hypertension and diabetes provide ample opportunity for nonpharmacologic intervention. Thus, the initial approach to the management of both diabetes and hypertension must emphasize weight control, physical activity, and dietary modification. Interestingly, lifestyle intervention is remarkably effective in the primary prevention of diabetes and hypertension. These principles also are pertinent to the prevention of downstream macrovascular complications of the two disorders. In addition to lifestyle modification, most patients will require specific medications to achieve national treatment goals for hypertension and diabetes. Management of hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and the underlying hypercoagulable and proinflammatory states requires the use of multiple medications in combination.