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‹ Sat · 16 May 2026
Near-term implementable finding

Cardiometabolic associations of SGLT-2 inhibitors on epicardial adiposity and left ventricular function in type 2 diabetes mellitus with coronary artery disease: insights from Malaysian EpiCAD study

SGLT-2 inhibitor diabetes drugs reduce harmful belly fat around the heart and improve heart function in Asian patients with coronary disease.

In 302 Malaysian T2DM patients with coronary artery disease, SGLT-2 inhibitors over 6 months produced marked reductions in epicardial adipose tissue (-1.5mm vs +0.6mm, p<0.001) and significant improvements in LV ejection fraction and mass compared to controls. This study provides Asian population-specific evidence for SGLT-2i cardioprotective effects beyond glycemic control, with distinct cardiometabolic adiposity traits.

What the study was

Study design
Prospective observational cohort, paired pre/post 6-month analysis
Population
Malaysian patients with T2DM and CAD; n=302 completers (151 per group)
Sample size
302
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Validated
Journal
Sci Rep

Why it surfaced

Prospective cohort demonstrating SGLT-2i reduces epicardial fat and improves LV remodeling in Asian T2DM+CAD patients — an underrepresented population in prior SGLT-2i trials. EAT reduction independent of glycemic changes suggests direct cardiac mechanism.

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