Study shows diabetes drug may reduce heart failure risk in cancer patients by 50 per cent

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A common type of diabetes medication may help cancer patients ward off the risk of heart failure by 50 per cent and boost long-term recovery, according to new research on Thursday.

Heart failure is common among cancer patients, and can lead to a reduced quality of life, multiple admissions to hospital, or even death. It is caused both due to the deadly disease as well as because of chemotherapy -- the first line of cancer treatment.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia in the UK showed that a type of diabetes medication -- an SGLT2 inhibitor -- may help protect the heart during and after cancer treatment.

The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, showed SGLT2 inhibitors can lower the risk of heart failure and unplanned hospital visits related to heart failure by more than 50 per cent.

The benefits were found to be particularly promising for breast cancer patients receiving a common chemotherapy type called anthracycline chemotherapy, which can affect heart health, said the team.

"Chemotherapy has played an instrumental role in improving patient outcomes. But up to 20 per cent of cancer patients who have had chemotherapy go on to develop heart problems, with up to 10 per cent having heart failure," said lead researcher Prof Vassilios Vassiliou, from the University.

"We know that SGLT2 inhibitors are recognised for their cardiovascular benefits. They can improve the symptoms of heart failure such as breathlessness and tiredness, and also reduce people's risk of becoming frail," Vassiliou added.

To see whether SGLT2 inhibitors could help protect the heart during and after cancer treatment, the team analysed 13 studies with a total of 88,273 cancer patients and survivors.

The team found that hospital admissions for heart failure were reduced by half. The number of new heart failure cases appeared to fall by more than two-thirds (71 per cent), suggesting these pills might help protect the heart during and after cancer treatment.

However, the researchers noted that more research is needed to confirm the findings.