An Observational Cross-sectional Study and a Double-blind Placebo Controlled Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Effect of Dapagliflozin on Myocardial Calcium-handling in Patients With Heart Failure- The DAPA-MEMRI Trial.
Diabetes mellitus is among the top 10 causes of death worldwide with an increasing incidence. Patients with diabetes are at risk of developing heart failure which is characterised by significant changes in the heart muscle including scarring and thickening. Contraction of the heart involves movement of calcium across the heart muscle and disruption of this process is an early change seen in heart failure. Recently, a drug therapy (SGLT2 inhibitor therapy) in patients with diabetes was shown to benefit patients with heart failure but the mechanisms of benefit are unknown. Our hypothesis is that calcium handling is altered in patients with either type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or heart failure and that SGLT2 inhibitors can improve this in heart failure irrespective of the presence of T2DM. Scanning the heart using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables detailed assessment of its structure and function by using a new contrast 'dye' containing manganese that has shown advantages over traditional contrast. We plan to further test this new dye as it has the potential to track and quantify improvements in heart function over time and detect changes in calcium handling in the heart muscle, making it an ideal measure to identify the mechanisms of benefit from SGLT2 inhibitor therapy. The study population will comprise patients with heart failure with and without type 2 diabetes, patients with type 2 diabetes without heart failure and healthy volunteers. Baseline comparisons will be made between the four groups before progressing to the randomised controlled trial with heart failure patients only. Patients will have a clinical assessment and blood tests, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and MRI of the heart at each visit. If successful, this study will give us significant insights into mechanisms of action of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure and will enable us to tailor specific treatments in heart failure patients.
⁃ Patients with heart failure (with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus)
• Aged over 18 years
• Diagnosis of symptomatic reduced ejection fraction heart failure for at least 2 months
• Left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%
• Elevated N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (\>125 pg/mL)
• Clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus for 50% of patient population - on stable therapy for at least 12 months or more.
⁃ Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and no heart failure
• Aged over 18 years
• Clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (diagnosed by either HbA1c of 48mmol/mol (6.5%) or greater or fasting plasma glucose level of 7mmol/L or greater at the time of diagnosis)
• \- on stable therapy for at least 12 months or more.
• Normal left ventricular systolic ejection fraction
⁃ Healthy Volunteers
• Aged over 18 years
• Normal left ventricular ejection fraction and glycaemia
• No clinically significant co-morbid conditions