Cardiovascular effects of empagliflozin in diabetes mellitus

ISRCTN ISRCTN82391603
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN82391603
IRAS number 241152
Secondary identifying numbers 38480, IRAS 241152
Submission date
08/10/2018
Registration date
16/10/2018
Last edited
25/08/2022
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Circulatory System
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the UK has more than doubled in the past 20 years and is expected to continue to rise. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the life expectancy of patients with type 2 diabetes remains significantly lower than that of the general population. Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased cardiovascular (heart disease) risk compared to the general population, even after adjustment for other risk factors, and this risk has proved difficult to modify. Older medications aimed at improving blood sugar control, including sitagliptin, have shown no significant improvement in cardiovascular outcomes. Recently, a new medication, empagliflozin, has been shown to decrease both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality and decrease heart failure admissions in patients with type 2 diabetes and known cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms by which empagliflozin causes this reduction in heart failure and cardiovascular mortality are as yet unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of empagliflozin on the heart in a population of patients with similar characteristics as studied in recent clinical trials.

Who can participate?
Patients aged 18-84 with known cardiovascular disease and recent heart attack (myocardial infarction), and with known type 2 diabetes

What does the study involve?
Participants receive sitagliptin and empagliflozin over two periods of 3 months and undergo tests including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of scar (extracellular fibrosis) and blood flow to the heart muscle, as well as assessment of diabetes status including blood tests. The aim is to find out whether empagliflozin treatment has any effects on the heart that are measurable with MRI.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There will be no direct clinical benefit to individual patients. This will be made clear at the start of the study. However, the results may show which diabetic medication is best for the control of their blood sugars, informing long-term prescribing. There are no direct risks to the patient from participating in this study. Some patients can find blood tests painful or may experience claustrophobia in the MRI scanner. Every effort will be made to reduce these sensations, as per normal clinical routine in MRI scanning, but if a participant cannot tolerate the procedure, the scan will be stopped immediately.

Where is the study run from?
Leeds General Infirmary (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2018 to June 2022

Who is funding the study?
British Heart Foundation (UK)

Who is the main contact?
Dr Kathryn Richards
K.H.Richards@leeds.ac.uk

Contact information

Dr Kathryn Richards
Scientific

LICAMM
LIGHT Laboratories
University of Leeds
6 Clarendon Way
Leeds
LS2 9LU
United Kingdom

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0001-9539-3123
Phone +44 (0)113 3928250
Email K.H.Richards@leeds.ac.uk

Study information

Study designRandomised; Both; Design type: Treatment, Drug, Validation of investigation/therapeutic procedures
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised cross over trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet ISRCTN82391603_PIS_v1.2_19Jun18.docx
Scientific titleCardiovascular effects of empagliflozin in diabetes mellitus
Study acronymCEED
Study objectivesThe trialists hypothesise that empagliflozin treatment is associated with changes in myocardial blood flow and myocardial fibrosis as measured by CMR, independently of blood sugar control.
Ethics approval(s)Yorkshire & Humber- South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee, 19/06/2018, ref: 18/YH/0190
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedHeart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and previous myocardial infarction
InterventionThis is a crossover study to characterise the cardiac effects of sitagliptin and empagliflozin on CMR imaging biomarkers and glycaemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes with a history of myocardial infarction. The trialists plan to recruit 60 patients with a diagnosis of diabetes and known heart disease. All participants will have HbA1c (a monitor of blood sugar control) levels within a range where an additional medication for diabetes would usually be considered. They will continue on their current diabetes medications throughout the trial.

All participants will undergo three CMR scans. A baseline scan will be carried out, followed by randomisation to either sitagliptin (100 mg once daily) or empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) by mouth for 3 months, then a second CMR scan, followed by 3 months therapy with the other medication and a final CMR scan. In addition, blood tests and blood glucose monitoring with a Libre Pro will be carried out 2 weeks before each CMR scan.

The Libre Pro is a small patch that sticks to the patient's skin, usually the upper arm, and remains in place for up to 2 weeks. It provides results for continuous blood sugar monitoring over that time, then this information is downloaded after removal.
Blood tests will include fasting glucose and insulin levels, HbA1c (a marker of diabetes control), a full blood count (FBC) and eGFR (a marker of kidney function).

In total, this would amount to 7 visits for each participant. The entire visit will take around 2 hours when a CMR scan takes place (3 visits). Visits for blood tests and blood sugar monitoring would take approximately 30 minutes. Patients will be asked to record on a patient diary that they have taken the study medication each day.

These scans will be for research purposes only. However, the results of blood sugar control and HbA1c with each medication will be available to the GP and could help chose which medication to continue in the long term.

CMR scans will involve use of adenosine as a stress agent to assess perfusion reserve, and the use of standard contrast agent to assess the amount of scarred myocardium.
Intervention typeDrug
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhaseNot Applicable
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)Sitagliptin, empagliflozin
Primary outcome measureMyocardial perfusion reserve in remote myocardium, measured by cardiac MRI at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks
Secondary outcome measures1. Myocardial perfusion reserve in infarcted territory
2. Extracellular volume fraction
3. Capillary permeability
4. Relationship between glycaemic markers and LV perfusion parameters
5. Aortic distensibility
Secondary outcome measures will be measured by cardiac MRI at baseline and at weeks 12 and 24. Secondary outcome measure 4 will also be measured at approximately 2 weeks before baseline and at weeks 10 and 22.
Overall study start date16/04/2018
Completion date30/06/2022

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
Upper age limit84 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participantsPlanned Sample Size: 60; UK Sample Size: 60
Total final enrolment36
Key inclusion criteria1. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
2. Metformin as single or dual therapy
3. Recent heart attack (<12 months)
4. HbA1c >48mmol/ml
5. 18-84 years old
6. Ability to provide informed consent
Key exclusion criteria1. Previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
2. Need for further revascularisation
3. Contra-indication to CMR scanning (some pacemakers, intraorbital debris, intraauricular implants, intracranial clips etc)
4. Contra-indication to Adenosine
5. Known allergy to contrast medium (gadolinium)
6. Renal dysfunction with eGFR< 60
7. Obesity where girth exceeds the scanner bore
8. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
9. Inability to lie flat for CMR scan
Date of first enrolment29/08/2018
Date of final enrolment03/01/2022

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street
Leeds
LS1 3EX
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Leeds
University/education

Faculty Research Office
Room 9.29 Level 9 Worsley Building
Clarendon Way
Leeds
LS2 9NL
England
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)113 3437587
Email governance-ethics@leeds.ac.uk
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/024mrxd33

Funders

Funder type

Charity

British Heart Foundation; Grant Codes: RG/16/1/32092
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Alternative name(s)
the_bhf, The British Heart Foundation, BHF
Location
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date31/12/2022
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryOther
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in a high-impact peer reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study during this study will be included in the subsequent results publication.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Participant information sheet version v1.2 19/06/2018 16/10/2018 No Yes
Participant information sheet version v1.3 17/01/2019 06/09/2019 No Yes
Protocol file version v1.2 17/01/2019 06/09/2019 No No
Protocol article 01/05/2021 13/08/2021 Yes No
HRA research summary 28/06/2023 No No

Additional files

ISRCTN82391603_PIS_v1.2_19Jun18.docx
Uploaded 16/10/2018
ISRCTN82391603_PIS_v1.3_17Jan2019.pdf
Uploaded 06/09/2019
ISRCTN82391603_Protocol_v1.2_17Jan2019.pdf
Uploaded 06/09/2019

Editorial Notes

25/08/2022: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The intention to publish date was changed from 30/06/2023 to 31/12/2022.
2. A contact was removed.
25/08/2022: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Total final enrolment added.
2. The recruitment end date was changed from 01/06/2020 to 03/01/2022.
3. The overall trial end date was changed from 31/12/2020 to 30/06/2022.
4. The intention to publish date was changed from 31/12/2021 to 30/06/2023.
13/08/2021: Internal review.
30/06/2021: Publication reference added.
23/04/2020: Due to current public health guidance, recruitment for this study has been paused.
06/09/2019: The following changes have been made:
1. The contacts' ORCIDs have been added.
2. The IRAS number has been added.
3. The acronym has been added.
4. Uploaded protocol Version 1.2 17 Jan 2019 (not peer reviewed).
5. An updated participant information sheet has been uploaded.
04/09/2019: Dr Kathryn Richards has been added as an additional scientific contact.
03/09/2019: The scientific contact has been updated.
25/03/2019: The condition has been changed from "Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease, Primary sub-specialty: Atherothrombosis; Health Category: Cardiovascular; Disease/Condition: Ischaemic heart diseases, Diabetes mellitus" to "Heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and previous myocardial infarction" following a request from the NIHR.
16/10/2018: The participant information sheet has been uploaded.