Short‐term outcomes after sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor initiation in a cohort of heart failure patients

AIMS: Sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) decrease mortality and risk of hospitalization in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). SGLT2i have a natriuretic effect shortly after initiation, followed by a lasting osmotic diuretic effect. We sought to evaluate rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) and therapy discontinuation with SGLT2i initiation in a real‐world cohort of HFrEF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We abstracted data on 200 patients with HFrEF initiated on a SGLT2i in the outpatient setting at the University of Michigan (between 1 July 2016 and 2 July 2022). Our co‐primary endpoints were rate of AKI and discontinuation of SGLT2i. A total of 200 patients were included. The majority of patients were male (64%) with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 27%. One hundred and four (52%) patients had diabetes mellitus. Most patients exhibited New York Heart Association class II (51.5%) or III (33.5%) symptoms. The majority of patients (54%) were taking an angiotensin‐receptor neprilysin inhibitor. The mean daily furosemide equivalent diuretic dose was 93.3 mg. AKI occurred in 22 patients and 18 patients discontinued their SGLT2i. Yeast infection (n = 6), hypotension (n = 5), and AKI (n = 4) were the most common reasons for discontinuation. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the strongest models for AKI were A1C [area underneath its curve (AUC) = 75.8, empirical confidence interval (ECI) 66.5–83.5]; baseline serum creatinine (SCr) (AUC = 72.0, ECI 65.7–78.7); LVEF (AUC = 67.6, ECI 58.4–75.8); and furosemide equivalent diuretic dose (AUC = 66.0, ECI 57.5–74.6). Similarly, the strongest positive models for SGLT2i discontinuation were A1C (AUC = 81.1, ECI 74.8–87.2); baseline SCr (AUC = 67.4, ECI 58.7–75.5); LVEF (AUC = 68.7, ECI 58.9–76.5); and furosemide equivalent diuretic dose (AUC = 67.2, ECI 58.2–76.0). CONCLUSIONS: A1C was the strongest model of AKI, and SGLT2i discontinuation in HFrEF patients started on SGLT2i. Glucosuria may be related to this effect. Patients with higher baseline SCr on higher doses of loop diuretics may be at greater risk of these outcomes. Future prospective studies will be needed to further evaluate these findings and other models of AKI and SGLT2i discontinuation to guide clinical use of SGLT2 inhibitors.