Diabetes status-related differences in risk factors and mediators of heart failure in the general population: results from the MORGAM/BiomarCaRE consortium

Diabetes and risk of heart failure in people with and without cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

People with diabetes have an increased risk of heart failure (HF), compared to those without diabetes. However, no comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis has explored whether these associations could differ in relation to prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD).

AIMS

To estimate the association between diabetes and incident heart failure (HF), compared to without diabetes, in individuals with and without CVD.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for observational cohort studies from the earliest dates to 22nd March 2023. A random-effects model calculated the pooled relative risk (RR).

RESULTS

Of 11,609 articles, 31 and 6 studies reported data in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) respectively. Individuals with T2D had an increased risk of HF irrespective of CVD prevalence: 1.61 (95% CI: 1.35-1.92) in those with CVD; 1.78 (1.60-1.99) without CVD; and 2.02 (1.75-2.33) with unspecified CVD prevalence. Meta-regression did not identify a significant difference comparing HF risk in T2D individuals with vs. without CVD (p = 0.232).

CONCLUSION

Peoplewith T2D, compared to those without diabetes, have similar increased risk of HF, regardless of CVD prevalence. Strategiesproven to lower HF risk in T2D individuals should be prioritized for those with and without CVD.

NT-proBNP Mediates the Association Between FGF23 and All-Cause Mortality in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23) is associated with a higher mortality risk in type 2 diabetes, but the mechanism is unclear. We aimed to study whether NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) mediates the association between FGF23 and mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed C-terminal FGF23 and NT-proBNP levels in 399 patients with type 2 diabetes. Cox regression analyses were performed, followed by mediation analyses using Structural Equation Modeling. During follow-up of 9.2 [7.6-11.3] years, 117 individuals died. FGF23 was associated with all-cause mortality, independent of potential confounders (fully adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.32 [95% CI, 1.21-4.43], P=0.01). The association was lost upon further adjustment for NT-proBNP (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 0.91-3.73). NT-proBNP accounted for 26% of the mediation effect between FGF23 and all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that a higher FGF23 level is associated with increased mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes through an effect on volume homeostasis.

Predicting and preventing heart failure in type 2 diabetes

The burden of heart failure among people with type 2 diabetes is increasing globally. People with comorbid type 2 diabetes and heart failure often have worse outcomes than those with only one of these conditions-eg, higher hospitalisation and mortality rates. Therefore, it is essential to implement optimal heart failure prevention strategies for people with type 2 diabetes. A detailed understanding of the pathophysiology underlying the occurrence of heart failure in type 2 diabetes can aid clinicians in identifying relevant risk factors and lead to early interventions that can help prevent heart failure. In this Review, we discuss the pathophysiology and risk factors of heart failure in type 2 diabetes. We also review the risk assessment tools for predicting heart failure incidence in people with type 2 diabetes as well as the data from clinical trials that have assessed the efficacy of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions. Finally, we discuss the potential challenges in implementing new management approaches and offer pragmatic recommendations to help overcome these challenges.

Targeting high glucose-induced epigenetic modifications at cardiac level: the role of SGLT2 and SGLT2 inhibitors

BACKGROUND

Sodium-glucose co-transporters (SGLT) inhibitors (SGLT2i) showed many beneficial effects at the cardiovascular level. Several mechanisms of action have been identified. However, no data on their capability to act via epigenetic mechanisms were reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the ability of SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) to induce protective effects at the cardiovascular level by acting on DNA methylation.

METHODS

To better clarify this issue, the effects of empagliflozin (EMPA) on hyperglycemia-induced epigenetic modifications were evaluated in human ventricular cardiac myoblasts AC16 exposed to hyperglycemia for 7 days. Therefore, the effects of EMPA on DNA methylation of NF-κB, SOD2, and IL-6 genes in AC16 exposed to high glucose were analyzed by pyrosequencing-based methylation analysis. Modifications of gene expression and DNA methylation of NF-κB and SOD2 were confirmed in response to a transient SGLT2 gene silencing in the same cellular model. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative PCR was performed to evaluate the occupancy of TET2 across the investigated regions of NF-κB and SOD2 promoters.

RESULTS

Seven days of high glucose treatment induced significant demethylation in the promoter regions of NF-kB and SOD2 with a consequent high level in mRNA expression of both genes. The observed DNA demethylation was mediated by increased TET2 expression and binding to the CpGs island in the promoter regions of analyzed genes. Indeed, EMPA prevented the HG-induced demethylation changes by reducing TET2 binding to the investigated promoter region and counteracted the altered gene expression. The transient SGLT2 gene silencing prevented the DNA demethylation observed in promoter regions, thus suggesting a role of SGLT2 as a potential target of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of EMPA in cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, our results demonstrated that EMPA, mainly acting on SGLT2, prevented DNA methylation changes induced by high glucose and provided evidence of a new mechanism by which SGLT2i can exert cardio-beneficial effects.

Cardiac microstructural alterations measured by echocardiography identify sex-specific risk for heart failure

OBJECTIVE

Established preclinical imaging assessments of heart failure (HF) risk are based on macrostructural cardiac remodelling. Given that microstructural alterations may also influence HF risk, particularly in women, we examined associations between microstructural alterations and incident HF.

METHODS

We studied N=2511 adult participants (mean age 65.7±8.8 years, 56% women) of the Framingham Offspring Study who were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. We employed texture analysis of echocardiography to quantify microstructural alteration, based on the high spectrum signal intensity coefficient (HS-SIC). We examined its relations to incident HF in sex-pooled and sex-specific Cox models accounting for traditional HF risk factors and macrostructural alterations.

RESULTS

We observed 94 new HF events over 7.4±1.7 years. Individuals with higher HS-SIC had increased risk for incident HF (HR 1.67 per 1-SD in HS-SIC, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.13; p<0.0001). Adjusting for age and antihypertensive medication use, this association was significant in women (p=0.02) but not men (p=0.78). Adjusting for traditional risk factors (including body mass index, total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure traits, diabetes and smoking) attenuated the association in women (HR 1.30, p=0.07), with mediation of HF risk by the HS-SIC seen for a majority of these risk factors. However, the HS-SIC association with HF in women remained significant after adjusting for relative wall thickness (representing macrostructure alteration) in addition to these risk factors (HR 1.47, p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac microstructural alterations are associated with elevated risk for HF, particularly in women. Microstructural alteration may identify sex-specific pathways by which individuals progress from risk factors to clinical HF.

Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on left ventricular deformation in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy patients assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases the risk of worse long-term outcomes in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). However, the additive effects of T2DM on left ventricular (LV) function in NIDCM remain unclear. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the impact of comorbid T2DM on LV deformation in NIDCM individuals.

Materials and methods

Three hundred forty-two NIDCM patients without T2DM [NIDCM (T2DM−)], 93 with T2DM [NIDCM (T2DM+)] and 80 age- and sex-matched normal controls who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance scanning were included. LV geometry, function, and LV global strains, including peak strain (PS), peak systolic strain rate (PSSR) and peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR) in the radial, circumferential and longitudinal directions, were measured. NIDCM (T2DM+) patients were divided into two subgroups based on the HbA1c level (< 7.0% and ≥ 7.0%). The determinants of reduced LV myocardial strain for all NIDCM individuals and NIDCM (T2DM+) patients were assessed using multivariable linear regression analyses.

Results

Compared with normal controls, both NIDCM (T2DM −) and NIDCM (T2DM+) patients exhibited increased LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume index and decreased LV ejection fraction. LV global strains progressively declined from the normal controls to the NIDCM (T2DM−) group to the NIDCM (T2DM+) group (all p < 0.017), except for radial PDSR and PSSR. Subgroup analysis showed that LV global radial PS and longitudinal PS, PSSR-L and PDSR-L were worse in NIDCM patients with poor glycemic control than in those with good glycemic control (p < 0.017). T2DM was an independent determinant of reduced LV global circumferential PS and longitudinal PS in patients with NIDCM (both p < 0.05). An increased HbA1c level was independently associated with a decreased global radial PS (β = − 0.285, p < 0.01) and longitudinal PS (β = 0.320, p < 0.01) in NIDCM (T2DM+) patients.

Conclusions

T2DM has an additive deleterious effect on LV systolic and diastolic function in NIDCM patients. Among NIDCM patients with T2DM, HbA1c was found to be associated with reduced LV myocardial strain.