Atherosclerosis,  a chronic progressive disease characterized by the accumulation and deposition of lipids and fibrous elements in large arteries, and the cardiovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis is found to be the main cause of mortality in metabolic-related diseases, especially in type 2 diabetes mellitus, reconfirms a study. The study, by a team of researchers from the Department of Diabetology and Endocrinology, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan and others. have found that generally, the formation of atherosclerotic plaques is divided into four stages, including  fatty streaks, atheromatous plaques, complicated atheromatous plaques and clinical complications. The plaque rupture and thromboembolism may lead to severe cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including acute coronary syndrome (ACS), myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke.  However, according to the researchers, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can effectively check the progress. 

Multiple pre-clinical and clinical studies have indicated that SGLT2 inhibitors not only reduce blood glucose but also confer benefits with regard to body weight, insulin resistance, lipid profiles and blood pressure. Recently, some cardiovascular outcome trials have demonstrated the safety and cardiovascular benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors beyond glycemic control. The SGLT2 inhibitors empagliflozin, canagliflozin, dapagliflozin and ertugliflozin reduce the rates of major adverse cardiovascular events and of hospitalization for heart failure in T2DM patients regardless of CVD. The potential mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors on cardio-protection may be involved in improving the function of vascular endothelial cells, suppressing oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation and regulating autophagy, which further protect from the progression of atherosclerosis, the study observed.