Authors

• Sara Varga — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0009-0005-1125-8108
• Ivana Jurin — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-2637-9691
• Ante Lisičić — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-4365-9652
• Andrej Novak — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-7828-4870
• Fran Šaler — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-1428-3940
• Dijana Bešić — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-9701-0253
• Mario Udovičić — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-9912-2179
• Nikola Pavlović — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-9187-7681
• Marin Pavlov — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0003-3962-2774
• Marta Puškadija — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0009-0004-1361-3911
• Šime Manola — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-6444-2674
• Ivan Zeljković — Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-4550-4056

Keywords

C-reactive protein, heart failure, sodium glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors

DOI

Full Text

**Introduction**: Low-grade inflammation has been associated with pathogenesis and progression of all specters of heart failure (HF). (1) Sodium glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve cardiac function (2). Aim: to assess the change in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with HF treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors in follow up of 12 months. **Patients and Methods**: We included patients diagnosed with all specters of HF – reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) according to the guidelines, at Dubrava University Hospital from May 2021 to September 2023 and prescribed with SGLT-2i among other guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT). We assessed the initial values of CRP and after 12 months of follow up. **Results**: This CaRD registry-based study included 268 HF patients with a median age of 66 (IQR 58-72) years, 71% male. 55% of patients were diagnosed with HFrEF, 27.6% with HFmrEF and 17.5% with HFpEF. 7.8% of patients stopped using SGLT-2i or were lost to follow up. 8.95% patients had other three pillars of GDMT prescribed at the initiation of SGLT-2i treatment. Median initial value of CRP was 5 mg/L (IQR 2.2-11.35mg/L). After 12 months of follow up, we observed a reduction of CRP by 1.3 mg/L (IQR -6.8-0.13mg/L, p2, IQR –2.9-68.6, p<0.001) during follow up. **Conclusion**: SGLT-2i reduced CRP in all specters of HF during follow up of 12 months.

Literature

1. Murphy SP, Kakkar R, McCarthy CP, Januzzi JL. Inflammation in Heart Failure: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 March 24;75(11):1324–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.01.014
2. Bonnet F, Scheen AJ. Effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on systemic and tissue low-grade inflammation: The potential contribution to diabetes complications and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes Metab. 2018 December;44(6):457–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabet.2018.09.005