Medscape: SGLT2 Inhibitors in Primary Care: 'All Hands on Deck' for Improving Heart Failure Outcomes

Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been described as revolutionary advances in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes, particularly in people with comorbid cardiovascular and kidney disease.

But this relatively new class of drugs recently has made the leap into cardiology practice, with approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of dapagliflozin (Farxiga) and empagliflozin (Jardiance) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

With multiple benefits proven in often overlapping diseases, SGLT2 inhibitors are now important tools for both general practitioners and specialists. But consistent implementation in heart failure remains a challenge, and it can be difficult to know which provider should initiate therapy in appropriate patients.

Mikhail Kosiborod, MD, cardiologist and Vice President of Research at Saint Luke's Health System and co-author of the DAPA-HF trial, explains why primary care is critical for identifying heart failure patients who would benefit from an SGLT2 inhibitor. 

Read the full Medscape article: SGLT2 Inhibitors in Primary Care: 'All Hands on Deck' for Improving Heart Failure Outcomes