Abstract Background several studies have demonstrated the cardioprotective effects of Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) in patients with heart failure (HF), irrespective of the presence of diabetes. These findings have culminated in new recommendations for SGLT2i in the treatment of HF, either with reduced or preserved ejection fraction (EF). Purpose the purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Gliflozin on right ventricular function, in patients with HFpEF, using speckle tracking echocardiography and new echocardiographic surrogates of right ventricular-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling. Methods we enrolled 105 symptomatic HF patients (aged 71,143 ± 9,913 years) with EF > 40% (47,9 ± 7,26) into a multicentric prospective observational study; main anamnestic information, NT-proBNP values and complete echocardiographic data were collected in an ambulatory setting, at time of enrolment and after 6 months of therapy with SGLT-2i. The echocardiographic analysis included conventional, tissue-derived imaging, and myocardial deformation speckle tracking echocardiography of left and right sections. TAPSE/PASP (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/pulmonary artery systolic pressure) and RVFWLS/PASP (Right ventricle free wall longitudinal strain) were also collected as surrogates of RV-PA coupling such as Results after 6 months of SGLT-2i therapy echocardiographic evaluation revealed improvement of LVEF (47,909 ± 7,260; 49,562 ± 8,784; p value 0.003) LVGLS (-13,312 ± 3,555; -14,894 ± 3,970; p value < 0.001), RVFWLS (-18,324 ± 6,430; -20,705 ± 6,469; p value 0.002). Echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function such as E/E’m (11,270 ± 6,282; 9,782 ± 6,622; p value 0.003) and PASP (36,580 ± 14,879; 31,757 ± 10,740; p value 0.036) were also ameliorated. Both TAPSE/PASP (0,567 ± 0,267; 0,762±0,536; p value 0.036) and RV FWLS/PASP (-0,588 ± 0,299; -0,785 ± 0,663 p value 0.003) showed higher values. Conclusions our study has demonstrated a significant impact of SGLT-2i on echocardiographic parameters of LV diastolic function and on both left and right ventricle systolic function in patients with HFpEF in a 6 months follow up. Moreover, our findings of RV-PA coupling echocardiographic surrogates improvement, after SGLT-2I use, could underscore the potential of SGLT-2i in managing RV dysfunction in HFpEF.
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