Effects of dapagliflozin on cardiovascular and kidney events by baseline eGFR and UACR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a patient-level pooled analysis of DECLARE-TIMI 58 and DAPA-CKD trials

Background

The sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) or cardiovascular death (CVD) and the risk of kidney events in patients type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and high cardiovascular risk or chronic kidney disease in the DECLARE-TIMI 58 and DAPA-CKD trials. These events are more common at lower levels of kidney function. Combining data from the two trials creates an opportunity to examine the effect of dapagliflozin across the spectrum of baseline kidney function.

Purpose

To determine the effects of dapagliflozin on HHF/CVD and kidney endpoints across a broad range of kidney function in the combined dataset.

Methods

We conducted a post hoc analysis of pooled patient-level data from DECLARE and DAPA-CKD. The effects of dapagliflozin compared with placebo on HHF/CVD and kidney endpoints (defined as sustained eGFR decrease ≥40%, end-stage kidney disease, or renal death) were assessed in the combined cohorts and in subgroups of baseline eGFR (<45, 45-<60, 60-<90, ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2) and urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR) (<30, 30-<300, 300-<1000, ≥1000 mg/g).

Results

A total of 19,748 patients with T2DM were included. Median (IQR) follow up time was 4.1 (3.7–4.4) years. Median eGFR was 85 (65–95) mL/min/1.73 m2 and UACR 18.2 (7–135) mg/g. Overall, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of HHF/CVD by 18% (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.73–0.92, p<0.001) and kidney endpoints by 40% (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.52–0.69, p<0.001). Overall rates of HHF/CVD and kidney endpoints were higher with lower eGFR (p<0.001) and with higher UACR (p<0.001). There were consistent relative risk reductions in HHF/CVD and kidney events with dapagliflozin across eGFR (p-interaction 0.25 and 0.32, respectively, Figure 1) and UACR (p-interaction 0.29 and 0.83, respectively, Figure 2) subgroups. The absolute rate difference (ARD) with dapagliflozin for CVD/HHF ranged from 0.1 events per 1000 patient years in patients in normal categories of eGFR and UACR to 1.0–1.7 events in patients in the most abnormal categories. Likewise, the ARD for kidney events ranged from 0.2 events per 1000 patient years in the normal eGFR and UACR groups to 2.5–4.3 events in patients in the most abnormal categories.

Conclusion

In this pooled analysis of pts with T2DM, there was higher risk of HHF/CVD and kidney events with lower eGFR and higher UACR. Dapagliflozin consistently reduced these events regardless of baseline eGFR and UACR, with large absolute risk reductions in patients with lower eGFR and higher UACR.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Lipoprotein(a), cardiovascular events, and benefit of P2Y12 inhibition: insights from the PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial

Background

Lp(a) plays a causal role in atherogenesis and may exert pro-thrombotic effects by inhibiting fibrinolysis owing to its structural homology with plasminogen. Patients with higher Lp(a) concentrations may derive greater benefit from anti-thrombotic therapy.

Purpose

We assessed whether patients with higher Lp(a) derive greater risk reduction from P2Y12 inhibition with ticagrelor vs. placebo on a background of aspirin therapy.

Methods

Lp(a) concentration was measured (Randox) in a prospective nested cohort of 8,967 pts enrolled in PEGASUS-TIMI 54, a randomized trial of ticagrelor vs. placebo in patients 1–3 years post MI (median follow-up: 2.7 y). Lp(a) was dichotomized at 200 nmol/L as an established threshold of risk. The prespecified MACE endpoint was CV death, MI or stroke, with KM rates reported at 3y. Cox proportional hazards were used to assess the relationship between Lp(a), MACE and treatment benefit. Models were adjusted for relevant baseline characteristics including apolipoprotein B.

Results

The median Lp(a) was 29 (25th-75th percentile: 12–137) nmol/L. A total of 1,053 pts (11.7%) had a high Lp(a) (≥200 nmol/L). In the pooled trial population, high Lp(a) concentration was associated with a 29% higher risk of MACE (9.1% vs 7.6%; adjusted hazard ratio [adj HR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.62; p=0.03), including a 37% higher risk of MI (6.9% vs. 5.3%; adj HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.05–1.79; p=0.02). The hazard ratios for MACE with ticagrelor vs. placebo were 0.73 (95% CI 0.48–1.11) for patients with higher Lp(a) and 0.88 (95% CI 0.74–1.05) for patients with lower Lp(a) (p-interaction=0.41; Figure 1). The absolute risk reductions were 2.4% and 1.2%, respectively.

Conclusion

Lp(a) above 200 nmol/L identifies patients with prior MI at increased risk of MACE who may derive greater absolute risk reduction from treatment with ticagrelor. These exploratory observations provide insights for therapeutics that are evaluating the clinical benefit of Lp(a) reduction.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): The PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial was funded by AstraZeneca

Acute arterial events across all vascular territories in the FOURIER trial

Background

In the FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Patients With Elevated Risk) trial, adding the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to statin therapy reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and cardiovascular risk. Although atherosclerotic coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular events share a related pathobiology, the effect of aggressive LDL-C lowering with PCSK9 inhibition on the risk of acute arterial events across all three vascular beds is not well-described.

Purpose

To assess the efficacy of evolocumab on acute arterial events in all vascular territories including coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vascular beds.

Methods

In the FOURIER trial, patients (n=27,564) with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and LDL-C ≥70 mg/dL on a statin were randomly assigned to evolocumab versus placebo and followed for a median of 2.2 years (1.8–2.5). Acute arterial events were defined as a composite of coronary (coronary heart disease [CHD] death, myocardial infarction [MI], or urgent coronary revascularization), cerebrovascular (ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack [TIA], or urgent cerebral revascularization), or peripheral vascular (acute limb ischemia, major amputation, or urgent peripheral revascularization) events. Cox proportional-hazard models were used to assess the efficacy of evolocumab on these outcomes. Landmark and total event analyses were also done.

Results

Of the 2,210 first acute arterial events occurring during follow-up, 74% were coronary, 22% were cerebrovascular, and 4% were peripheral vascular. Evolocumab reduced the risk of a first acute arterial event by 19% (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74–0.88; P<0.001), with significant individual reductions in acute coronary (HR 0.83; 95% CI 0.75–0.91; P<0.001), acute cerebrovascular (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.65–0.92; P=0.004), and acute peripheral vascular (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.38–0.88; P=0.01) events (Figure, top). The magnitude of the risk reduction with evolocumab tended to increase over time, with a 16% reduction (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.75–0.96) in the first year followed by a 24% reduction (HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.67–0.85) thereafter (Figure, bottom). There were 3,780 total acute arterial events (first plus recurrent), with a 22% reduction with evolocumab (incidence rate ratio [RR] 0.78; 95% CI 0.70–0.87). Evolocumab prevented 496 total acute arterial events as compared to 222 first events.

Conclusions

The addition of the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to statin therapy reduced the risk of acute arterial events across all vascular territories with a robust effect over time. These findings indicate a pan-vascular impact of aggressive lipid-lowering therapy on these acute and clinically meaningful events.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): The FOURIER trial was supported by Amgen.

Elevated markers of liver function are associated with poorer outcomes in HFREF: an analysis of DAPA-HF

Background

Abnormalities of liver tests in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a well-recognised phenomenon. We examined the prognostic value of measures of liver function in a large contemporary cohort of patients with HFrEF enrolled in the Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure (DAPA-HF) trial

Methods

In this post-hoc analysis of the DAPA-HF trial we studied 4625 patients with liver function tests available at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between liver tests (total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase [ALP], alanine transaminase [ALT], aspartate transaminase [AST]) and the Model for End-stage Liver Disease excluding INR (MELD-XI) score (calculated as 5.11 Ln [total bilirubin as mg/dL] + 11.76 Ln [creatinine as mg/dL] + 9.44), and the risk of the primary composite endpoint (hospitalisation or urgent visit for heart failure or cardiovascular death). Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, region, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, LVEF, eGFR, log-transformed NT-proBNP, NYHA class, history of hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, heart failure aetiology and randomized treatment to dapagliflozin and stratified by diabetic status at baseline. An interaction term between each measure and the effect of treatment on the primary composite outcome was tested as a fractional polynomial.

Results

Total bilirubin, ALP, and MELD-XI score were associated with a higher risk of all the primary outcome (Figure 1) but not ALT or AST. These relationships persisted after adjustment: total bilirubin per log unit increase (HR=1.46; 95% CI 1.28 – 1.67, p<0.001), ALP per log unit increase (HR=1.39; 95% CI 1.15 – 1.66, p<0.001), MELD-XI per 1 SD increase (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.13 – 1.42, p<0.001). The effect of dapagliflozin on the primary outcome was not modified by the baseline levels of either total bilirubin, ALP or MELD-XI score (Figure 2)

Conclusions

Higher total bilirubin, ALP and MELD-XI score were independently associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular death or worsening HF and may be useful routinely available biomarkers to assess prognosis. The efficacy of dapagliflozin was the not modified by baseline levels of any of these markers.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. Figure 2

Influence of cardiovascular drugs on the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial

Background

In DECLARE-TIMI 58, the sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) dapagliflozin reduced the risk of the composite of cardiovascular (CV) death or hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) in a broad range of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). SGLT2i are known to have diuretic and anti-hypertensive effects. However, whether concomitant CV drugs influence the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in these populations is less well known.

Purpose

We examined whether dapagliflozin consistently reduced the risk of CV outcomes and whether the safety of dapagliflozin was similar with or without the concurrent use of various CV drugs.

Methods

DECLARE–TIMI 58 was a randomized trial of dapagliflozin versus placebo in patients with T2DM and either atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or multiple risk factors for CV disease followed for a median of 4.2 years. We stratified patients by the use of CV drugs at baseline commonly used for heart failure: angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB), beta-blockers, diuretics, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA). Efficacy outcomes of interest were the composite of CV death/HHF and HHF alone. We used the Cox proportional-hazard model for these analyses.

Results

Of 17,160 patients, 13,950 (81%) used ACEi/ARB, 9,030 (53%) used beta-blockers, 6,967 (41%) used diuretics, and 762 (4%) used MRA at baseline. All were balanced by randomized treatment groups. Patients using CV drugs at baseline had a greater prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors and established CV disease than those without. Dapagliflozin consistently reduced the risk of CV death/HHF regardless of the use of CV medications (Figure). For HHF alone, similar results were seen with no significant interactions for any of the classes. There were no significant treatment interactions by the concomitant use of any of CV drugs for adverse events including symptoms of volume depletion or acute kidney injury.

Conclusions

In this analysis from the DECLARE–TIMI 58 trial, dapagliflozin consistently reduced the risk of CV death/HHF and HHF alone irrespective of the concurrent use of various CV drugs without any treatment interaction for key safety events.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): The DECLARE–TIMI 58 trial was supported by AstraZeneca.

P1694Sex is not an independent predictor of ischemic outcomes or bleeding in NSTEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Insights from the TAO trial

Background

There is uncertainty regarding whether female sex is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Purpose

We sought to describe and compare ischemic and bleeding outcomes between men and women with Non–ST-segment–Elevation (NSTE) ACS enrolled in the large Treatment of Acute coronary syndromes with Otamixaban (TAO) trial in which antithrombotic treatment was standardized and a systematic invasive approach was performed.

Methods

The TAO trial randomized moderate to high-risk NSTE-ACS patients with diagnostic coronary angiography planned in the first 72 hours to heparin plus eptifibatide versus otamixaban. This post-hoc analysis describes ischemic (all-cause death, new myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis within 180 days of randomization) and bleeding outcomes (TIMI major and minor bleeding within 30 days of randomization) according to sex.

Results

Of 13,229 patients with NSTE-ACS randomized in 55 countries, 3,980 (30.1%) were female and 9,249 (69.9%) were male. Mean age was 64.8±11.0 and 60.7±11.1 years, respectively. The prevalence of diabetes (34.0% vs. 25.8%), hypertension (80.8% vs. 67.0%), and hypercholesterolemia (55.9% vs. 52.2%) was higher among women compared with men but current smoking (21.5% vs. 38.7%) and history of previous MI were more frequent in males (15.5% vs. 20.7%).

Females experienced a higher incidence of both ischemic outcomes (10.2% vs. 9.1%; OR=1.15; 95% CI, 1.01–1.30; p=0.034) and bleeding events (4.1% vs. 3.4%; OR=1.23; 95% CI, 1.02–1.49; p=0.029). Bleeding risk and CV death were particularly increased in women younger than 50 years, compared to males of the same age, at 5.5% vs. 1.4% (OR=4.00; 95% CI, 2.13–7.69; p=0.034) and 1.7% vs. 0.5% (OR=4.35; 95% CI, 1.02–20.00; p=0.02), respectively. No difference in either outcome was found between women and men between 50 and 80 years old. Above 80 years, women experienced a lower rate of bleeding (3.9% vs. 7.8%; OR=0.47; 95% CI, 0.23–0.88; p=0.024) but a similar rate of in ischemic events (16.0% vs. 17.2%; OR=0.92; 95% CI, 0.63–1.33; p=0.67).

After adjustment for age, body weight, diabetes mellitus, prior PCI, serum creatinine, presenting systolic blood pressure, elevated biomarker at presentation, heart failure, the risk of ischemic (OR=1.03; 95% CI, 0.89–1.18; p=0.71) and bleeding events (OR=1.05; 95% CI, 0.85–1.33; p=0.65) were similar between men and women.

Conclusions

In this large international randomized trial of NSTE-ACS with standardized invasive management, women (particularly those younger than 50 years) experienced higher risks of ischemic and bleeding events than men, but the difference was not sustained after adjustment. In this population, sex was not an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in NSTE-ACS. The type of ACS (NSTE-ACS) and routine invasive management in women and men may explain this absence of difference.

Acknowledgement/Funding

The TAO trial was sponsored and funded by SANOFI. The present analysis was supported by the RHU iVASC grant “#ANR-16-RHUS-00010”

410Heart failure risk stratification and efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk of developing heart failure (HF). Treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduces the risk of hospitalization for HF (HHF) in patients with T2DM.

Purpose

To develop and validate a practical, multivariable clinical risk score for HHF in patients with T2DM and assess whether this score can identify high-risk patients with T2DM who have the greatest reduction in risk for HHF with an SGLT2 inhibitor.

Methods

We developed a clinical risk score for centrally-adjudicated HHF using independent clinical risk indicators of HHF in 8212 patients with T2DM in the placebo arm of SAVOR-TIMI 53. Candidate variables were assessed using multivariable Cox regression and independent clinical risk indicators achieving statistical significance of p<0.001 were included in the risk score and given weights proportional to the regression coefficients. We externally validated the score in 8578 patients with T2DM in the placebo arm of DECLARE-TIMI 58. Discrimination was assessed using Harrell's c-index. The relative and absolute risk reductions in HHF with the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin were assessed by baseline HHF risk.

Results

The 5 independent clinical risk indicators were prior heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) (Figure, left). A simple integer-based scheme using these predictors identified a strong >16-fold gradient of HHF risk (p-trend <0.001) in both the derivation and validation cohorts, with c-indices of 0.81 and 0.78, respectively. Whereas relative risk reductions were similar across the risk score (25–34%), absolute risk reductions were greater in those at higher baseline risk (interaction p-value for absolute risk reduction <0.01), with high-risk (2 points) and very high-risk patients (≥3 points) having 1.5% and 2.7% absolute risk reductions in HHF at 4 years with dapagliflozin, translating into NNTs of only 65 and 36, respectively (Figure, right).

Conclusion(s)

Risk stratification using a novel clinical risk score for HHF in patients with T2DM identifies patients at higher risk for HHF who derive greater benefit from treatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin.

Acknowledgement/Funding

SAVOR-TIMI 53 and DECLARE-TIMI 58 were sponsored by AstraZeneca.

Large-scale gene-centric meta-analysis across 39 studies identifies type 2 diabetes loci

To identify genetic factors contributing to type 2 diabetes (T2D), we performed large-scale meta-analyses by using a custom ∼50,000 SNP genotyping array (the ITMAT-Broad-CARe array) with ∼2000 candidate genes in 39 multiethnic population-based studies, case-control studies, and clinical trials totaling 17,418 cases and 70,298 controls. First, meta-analysis of 25 studies comprising 14,073 cases and 57,489 controls of European descent confirmed eight established T2D loci at genome-wide significance. In silico follow-up analysis of putative association signals found in independent genome-wide association studies (including 8,130 cases and 38,987 controls) performed by the DIAGRAM consortium identified a T2D locus at genome-wide significance (GATAD2A/CILP2/PBX4; p = 5.7 × 10(-9)) and two loci exceeding study-wide significance (SREBF1, and TH/INS; p < 2.4 × 10(-6)). Second, meta-analyses of 1,986 cases and 7,695 controls from eight African-American studies identified study-wide-significant (p = 2.4 × 10(-7)) variants in HMGA2 and replicated variants in TCF7L2 (p = 5.1 × 10(-15)). Third, conditional analysis revealed multiple known and novel independent signals within five T2D-associated genes in samples of European ancestry and within HMGA2 in African-American samples. Fourth, a multiethnic meta-analysis of all 39 studies identified T2D-associated variants in BCL2 (p = 2.1 × 10(-8)). Finally, a composite genetic score of SNPs from new and established T2D signals was significantly associated with increased risk of diabetes in African-American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. In summary, large-scale meta-analysis involving a dense gene-centric approach has uncovered additional loci and variants that contribute to T2D risk and suggests substantial overlap of T2D association signals across multiple ethnic groups.