Impact of Empagliflozin on Functional Capacity in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors generally and empagliflozin specifically have shown cardiovascular benefits in patients with heart failure (HF), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Empagliflozin use resulted in lower pulmonary artery diastolic pressures in patients with HF, suggesting a beneficial diuretic effect. Other potential mechanisms include increased blood volume, decreased blood pressure, and changes in sympathetic and neuro-hormonal activation. This study is a single-arm, open label, prospective interventional study of 8 subjects with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Before and after 12 weeks of daily empagliflozin, participants with undergo comprehensive invasive exercise testing with a right heart catheter. Our goal is to evaluate the effects of empagliflozin on fitness, assessed by peak VO2, and peak left ventricular filling pressure, assessed by pulmonary capillary pressure at peak exercise.