Benefits
- Helps people who have heart failure live longer and feel better
- Lowers the chance that you will be hospitalized to treat heart failure
- Lowers blood sugar in people who have diabetes
- Lowers the chance that you will develop worsening kidney failure and cardiovascular disease
Action
- SGLT2 Inhibitors help your kidneys remove sodium (salt) and glucose (sugar) from your blood. With less sodium and glucose, you will retain less fluid and lower your blood pressure.
- For people living with diabetes, excess sugar (glucose) from your blood is removed from your body in your pee (urine) and this lowers your blood sugar levels.
Potential Side Effects
- Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
- Increased amount of pee (urine)
- Genital yeast infections (in all genders) that need treatment
- Dehydration (too little water in your body)
- Low blood sugar
- Ketoacidosis (when chemicals called ketones build up in your blood)
Common Names
- Canagliflozin (Canagliflozin)
- Dapagliflozin (Forxiga)
- Empagliflozin (Jardiance)
Note
In the past, SGLT2 Inhibitors were only prescribed to people living with type 2 diabetes. Recent studies show that they can also help people who are living with heart failure.
