<b>Background: </b>
<p>Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors
reduce risk for heart failure hospitalization, potentially by inducing sodium
excretion, osmotic diuresis and plasma volume contraction. Few studies have
investigated this hypothesis, but none have assessed cumulative sodium
excretion with SGLT2 inhibition during standardized sodium intake in patients
with type 2 diabetes. </p>
<p><b>Methods: </b></p>
<p>DAPASALT (NCT03152084) was a mechanistic,
non-randomized, open-label study in patients with type 2 diabetes with preserved
kidney function, on a controlled standardized sodium diet (150 mmol/day). It
evaluated the effects of dapagliflozin on sodium excretion, 24-hour blood
pressure, and extracellular, intracellular and plasma volumes at start of
treatment (ST; days 2-4), end of treatment (ET; days_12-14) and at follow-up (FU; days_15-18). </p>
<p><b>Results:</b> </p>
<p>Fourteen patients were included in the efficacy
analysis. Mean [SD] baseline sodium excretion (150 [32] mmol/24-hours), did not
significantly change during treatment (change at ST: -7.0 mmol/24-hours [95%CI:
-22.4, 8.4]; change at ET 2.1 mmol/24-hours [95%CI: -28.8, 33.0]). Mean (SD) baseline
24-hour systolic blood pressure was 128 (10) mmHg and significantly reduced at ST
(-6.1 mmHg [95%CI: -9.1, -3.1]; p<0.001) and ET (-7.2 mmHg [95%CI: -10.0,
-4.3]; p<0.001). Dapagliflozin did not significantly alter plasma volume or
intracellular volume, while extracellular volume changed at ST (-0.7 L [95%CI: -1.3,
0.1]; p=0.02). As expected, 24-hour urinary glucose excretion significantly
increased during dapagliflozin treatment and reversed during FU. </p>
<p><b>Conclusions:</b></p>
<p>During
standardized sodium intake, dapagliflozin reduced blood pressure without
clear changes in urinary sodium excretion, suggesting that factors other than
natriuresis and volume changes may contribute to the blood-pressure lowering
effects. </p>