556 EFFECT OF SODIUM-GLUCOSE CO-TRANSPORTER-2 INHIBITION ON RIGHT VENTRICULAR FUNCTION IN HEART FAILURE WITH REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION

Abstract

Abstract Background Sodium-glucose-transporter (SGLT2)-inhibitors have modified heart failure's prognosis since they are able to reduce the combined risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. Evidence is available about the contribute of these drugs to LV reverse remodeling. Instead, despite the right ventricular disfunction is often related to the left ventricular one, little is known about the effects of SGLT2-inhibitors on right ventricular function. Methods Between October 2021 and February 2022, we enrolled 43 consecutive patients affected by heart failure with reduced ejection fraction on optimal medical therapy including ARNI who initiated SGLT2i therapy. All patients referred to our Heart Failure Clinic and were included in our heart failure registry approved by the local ethical committee A transthoracic echocardiography was performed at the beginning of treatment and after 6 months, evaluating left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVi) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) was assessed in 27 patients, while 16 were excluded for poor acoustic window. Continuous variables are reported as median and interquartile range and compared with the Mann-Whitney U test as appropriate. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 26 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results Median age of the study population was 65,8 years [IQR 56,4-75,1]. Median LVEF was 30% [IQR 24-33]. No other medical or electrical therapies for heart failure were introduced during the study period in this population. There was a significant increase of LVEF (30 [24-33] vs 33 [26-40], p 0.001) and a trend toward decrease of LVEDVi (110 [77.5-127] vs 94.7 [67.7-114.6], p 0.084). Moreover, there were no variations of TAPSE (17.5 [16-20] vs 18 [14 to 19.7], p 0.375), while RVLS showed a significant improvement (-12.3% [-16.6 / -10.6] vs -16.9% [-20 / -11.7], p 0.007) (Figure). Conclusions These preliminary data, population on optimal medical therapy including ARNI confirm the role of SGLT2-i in left ventricular reverse remodeling. Of note, these medications seem to improve right ventricular function as well as the left one as demonstrated by the increase of RVLS, which seems to be more sensitive of conventional methods to assess right ventricular function. Larger studies are necessary to confirm the positive effects of SGLT2i on right ventricular function.