Tirzepatide is a new molecule capable of controlling glucose blood levels by combining the dual agonism of Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP) and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors. GIP and GLP1 are incretin hormones: they are released in the intestine in response to nutrient intake and stimulate pancreatic beta cell activity secreting insulin. GIP and GLP1 also have other metabolic functions. GLP1, in particular, reduces food intake and delays gastric emptying. Moreover, Tirzepatide has been shown to improve blood pressure and to reduce Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. Tirzepatide efficacy and safety were assessed in a phase III SURPASS 1–5 clinical trial program. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved Tirzepatide subcutaneous injections as monotherapy or combination therapy, with diet and physical exercise, to achieve better glycemic blood levels in patients with diabetes. Other clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate its use in other diseases. The scientific interest toward this novel, first-in-class medication is rapidly increasing. In this comprehensive and systematic review, we summarize the main results of the clinical trials investigating Tirzepatide and the currently available meta-analyses, emphasizing novel insights into its adoption in clinical practice for diabetes and its future potential applications in cardiovascular medicine.
SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) enables glucose and sodium reabsorption in the kidney. SGLT2-inhibitors (gliflozins, which include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin) act by increasing glycosuria, thereby reducing glycemia. These drugs are critical to reach and keep glycemic control, a crucial feature, especially in patients with comorbidities, like frail individuals. Several studies evaluated the effects of SGLT2-inhibitors in different settings beyond diabetes, revealing that they are actually pleiotropic drugs. We recently evidenced the favorable effects of SGLT2-inhibition on physical and cognitive impairment in frail older adults with diabetes and hypertension. In the present overview, we summarize the latest clinical and preclinical studies exploring the main effects of SGLT2-inhibitors on kidney and heart, emphasizing their potential beneficial actions in frailty.
Resistant hypertension is defined by blood pressure (BP) targets not achieved despite the use of at least 3 anti-hypertensive drugs of different classes, including a diuretic (1). Diagnosed in more than 10% of hypertensive patients, it represents a high-risk phenotype, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality (2). A BP that cannot be controlled with the use of at least 5 antihypertensive agents of different classes, including a long-acting thiazide-like diuretic such as chlorthalidone, and spironolactone is defined refractory hypertension. Substantial evidence indicates that aldosterone excess is very common in patients with resistant hypertension and primary aldosteronism is present in ~20% of patients with confirmed resistant hypertension; intriguingly a positive relationship (more pronounced in men) between weight gain and aldosterone levels has also been demonstrated (3,4). Despite its side effects (5), the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone remains the preferred 4 th line add-on therapy in patients with resistant hypertension. The adverse effects of spironolactone (which include reduced testosterone synthesis, hyperkalemia, gynecomastia, breast tenderness, menstrual irregularities and postmenopausal bleeding) are essentially due to the off-target blockade of several steroid hormone receptors (5). To counteract these obstacles, a different approach has Frontiers in Endocrinology frontiersin.org 01
OBJECTIVE Ischemia with nonobstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) is a prevailing finding in patients with angina. However, the main factors underlying the risk of being rehospitalized for chest pain in patients with INOCA remain mostly unknown. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We evaluated INOCA patients referred to the “Casa di Cura Montevergine” in Mercogliano (Avellino), Italy, from January 2016 to January 2021 for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In these subjects, we assessed the impact of the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR), defined as the ratio of mmol/L blood glucose and % HbA1c, on the risk of rehospitalization for chest pain. RESULTS A total of 2,874 patients with INOCA successfully completed the study. At the 1-year follow-up, the risk of rehospitalization for chest pain was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in INOCA patients with SHR >1 compared to patients with SHR ≤1. These findings were confirmed by multivariable analyses (adjusting for potential confounders, including age, BMI, blood pressure, heart rate, chronic kidney disease, and cholesterol), propensity score matching, and inverse probability of treatment weighting. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate, to our knowledge for the first time, that SHR on hospital admission significantly and independently increases the risk of rehospitalization for chest pain in INOCA patients.
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