Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor for Patients With Acute Cardiorenal Syndrome

Individuals with heart failure are prone to acute kidney injury (AKI) as well as fluctuations in creatinine that meet AKI criteria. AKI diagnosis often complicates heart failure management and leads to interruptions of medications with long term benefit. AKI is also associated with long-term complications such as chronic kidney function and cardiovascular mortality. There is no efficient universal treatment for this type of AKI. In acute heart failure (AHF), although loop diuretics are the mainstay of treatment, diuretic resistance complicates the management. A drug that improves diuretic efficiency may lead to faster decongestion and improvement in kidney function.

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are drugs consistently shown to reduce hospitalizations in heart failure as well as progression of chronic kidney disease. They have also shown to promote kidney tubular health in pre-clinical models of kidney injury. They have been included in the armamentarium of heart failure care as goal directed medical therapy (GDMT) but concerns of efficacy and safety in patients with kidney dysfunction continue to limit their uptake and maintenance.

This study aims to promote increased use of SGLT2 inhibitors by demonstrating their safety and possible benefit in patients who develop kidney injury in the setting of heart failure to avoid interruptions in GDMT use.

To this end, 130 hospitalized adults with acute cardiorenal syndrome will be enrolled into a randomized controlled trial. Subjects will be randomized to receive either dapagliflozin or placebo for 14 days or until discharge (whichever comes first). Blood and urine samples will be collected for biomarker analysis, symptom and adverse event surveys will be administered, and various clinical parameters will be recorded on up to 6 study visits during hospitalization.

The primary outcome is a composite of short- and intermediate-term cardiorenal outcomes including: heart failure specific outcomes (objective measures of decongestion (i.e., effective diuresis), and a patient-reported outcome incorporating two dimensions of health state and a visual analogue scale (VAS)), kidney-specific outcomes (dialysis receipt, AKI progression to a higher stage, and change in serum creatinine), length of stay, and mortality. Secondary outcomes include trends in biomarkers of kidney injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, and repair, as well as individual components of the primary outcome as well as re-hospitalization rates.

Inclusion criteria

• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
• Male or female, aged ≥ 18 and ≤ 85 years-old
• Diagnosed with heart failure of either preserved or reduced left ventricular function
• Have signs of heart failure exacerbation
• Ability to take an oral medication
• Willing to adhere to the SGLT2i vs placebo regimen

Exclusion criteria

• AKI can be primarily explained by another etiology
• Current use of SGLT2 inhibitor or exposure in the past 72 hours
• Pregnancy or lactation (pregnancy test prior to enrollment in women of child-bearing age)
• Known allergic reactions to components of an SGLT2 inhibitor
• Treatment with another investigational drug for heart failure different from or in addition to usual care within the 72 hours preceding AKI
• Any individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
• Documented history of ileal conduit (neobladder)
• No means of collecting urine such as patients with documented incontinence without indwelling or external urinary catheter
• Advanced kidney disease at baseline defined as baseline eGFR < 25 ml/min/1.73m2
• Unexplained hypoglycemia in the past 30 days from enrollment
• History of Fournier's gangrene (pelvic necrotizing fasciitis)
• History of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI): defined as documented UTI at least 2x in the preceding 6 months or 3 x in the preceding 12 months
• End-stage kidney disease with dialysis requirement
• Oliguria: defined as less than 30 ml urine output per hour for more than two consecutive hours or less than 500 ml over the preceding 24 hours
• Severe acute kidney injury with indications for dialysis
• Current dialysis receipt for acute kidney injury
• Comfort measures only
• Solid organ transplant on immunosuppression