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A diabetes drug could transform the treatment of heart failure and cut deaths by more than a fifth, doctors revealed yesterday.
Half of heart failure patients have ‘reduced ejection fraction’, where the heart is unable to pump blood round the body due to a mechanical issue.
And half have ‘preserved ejection fraction’, where the heart pumps blood well but cannot provide oxygen to all the parts of the body.
Professor Vass Vassiliou, who led the study, said: ‘Preserved ejection fraction had puzzled doctors, as every medicine tested showed no benefit'
It was already known that drugs named SGLT2 inhibitors, which are used to treat diabetes, could aid patients with reduced ejection fraction.
But now researchers from the University of East Anglia have found the same drugs can also be used effectively to treat preserved ejection fraction.
Professor Vass Vassiliou, who led the study, said: ‘Preserved ejection fraction had puzzled doctors, as every medicine
