In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, established cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), treatment with empagliflozin improved clinical outcomes and reduced mortality, a recent study found. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, established CVD, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL·min^-1·1.73 m^-2 at screening were randomized to receive empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, or placebo once daily in addition to standard of care. Researchers found:

• 7,020 patients were treated: 2,250 had prevalent CKD at baseline, of whom 67% had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus for >10 years, 58% were receiving insulin, and 84% were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers.
• In patients with prevalent kidney disease at baseline, empagliflozin reduced the risk of CV death by 29% compared with placebo, the risk of all-cause mortality by 24%, the risk of hospitalization for heart failure by 39%, and the risk of all-cause hospitalization by 19%.
• Effects of empagliflozin on outcomes was consistent across categories of eGFR.