6.

208

Review

Pathophysiology and Treatment of

Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and
Heart Failure in Patients with
Diabetes Mellitus

Kazufumi Nakamura, Toru Miyoshi, Masashi Yoshida, Satoshi Akagi, Yukihiro Saito, Kentaro Ejiri,
Naoaki Matsuo, Keishi Ichikawa, Keiichiro Iwasaki, Takanori Naito et al.

Special Issue
Molecular Pathways in Cardio-Metabolic Disease
Edited by
Dr. Claudia Kusmic and Dr. Francesca Forini

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073587
 International Journal of
Molecular Sciences

Review
Pathophysiology and Treatment of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
and Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
Kazufumi Nakamura 1, * , Toru Miyoshi 1 , Masashi Yoshida 1 , Satoshi Akagi 1 , Yukihiro Saito 1 , Kentaro Ejiri 1 ,
Naoaki Matsuo 1 , Keishi Ichikawa 1 , Keiichiro Iwasaki 1 , Takanori Naito 1 , Yusuke Namba 1 ,
Masatoki Yoshida 1 , Hiroki Sugiyama 2 and Hiroshi Ito 1

1 Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,

Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan; [email protected] (T.M.);
[email protected] (M.Y.); [email protected] (S.A.); [email protected] (Y.S.);
[email protected] (K.E.); [email protected] (N.M.); [email protected] (K.I.);
[email protected] (K.I.); [email protected] (T.N.); [email protected] (Y.N.);
[email protected] (M.Y.); [email protected] (H.I.)
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital, Okayama 700-8511, Japan;
[email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +81-86-235-7351; Fax: +81-86-235-7353

Abstract: There is a close relationship between diabetes mellitus and heart failure, and diabetes
is an independent risk factor for heart failure. Diabetes and heart failure are linked by not only
the complication of ischemic heart disease, but also by metabolic disorders such as glucose toxicity



and lipotoxicity based on insulin resistance. Cardiac dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery

 disease, hypertension, and valvular disease is called diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes-induced
Citation: Nakamura, K.; Miyoshi, T.; hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia lead to capillary damage, myocardial fibrosis, and myocardial
Yoshida, M.; Akagi, S.; Saito, Y.; Ejiri, hypertrophy with mitochondrial dysfunction. Lipotoxicity with extensive fat deposits or lipid
K.; Matsuo, N.; Ichikawa, K.; Iwasaki,
droplets is observed on cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, increased oxidative stress and inflammation
K.; Naito, T.; et al. Pathophysiology
cause cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. Treatment with a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2)
and Treatment of Diabetic
inhibitor is currently one of the most effective treatments for heart failure associated with diabetes.
Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure
However, an effective treatment for lipotoxicity of the myocardium has not yet been established, and
in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587.
the establishment of an effective treatment is needed in the future. This review provides an overview
https://doi.org/10.3390/ of heart failure in diabetic patients for the clinical practice of clinicians.
ijms23073587
Keywords: heart failure; lipotoxicity; SGLT2 inhibitor
Academic Editors: Claudia Kusmic
and Francesca Forini

Received: 14 February 2022

Accepted: 23 March 2022 1. Complication of Diabetes and Heart Failure
Published: 25 March 2022 Heart failure is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus, and
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for heart failure. The Framingham study
with regard to jurisdictional claims in showed that the development of heart failure is two times more likely in men with diabetes
published maps and institutional affil- and five times more likely in women with diabetes than in non-diabetics [1]. On the
iations. other hand, the complication rate of diabetes in patients with heart failure is 30–40% [2],
supporting the close relationship between diabetes and heart failure.
The basis of the link between diabetes and heart failure is not only the complication of
ischemic heart disease, but also metabolic disorders such as glucose toxicity and lipotoxicity
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. based on insulin resistance, vascular endothelial dysfunction, microcirculatory disorder,
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
and capillary failure. Various mechanisms are involved. It has been proposed that cardiac
This article is an open access article
dysfunction in the absence of significant coronary artery disease, hypertension, and valvular
distributed under the terms and
heart disease should be called “diabetic cardiomyopathy” [3–6]. However, its existence
conditions of the Creative Commons
has been debated for many years [4,7,8]. Diabetic cardiomyopathy is described in the
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Failure
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
Guidelines published in 2013 [9]. On the other hand, in the recent guidelines of the
4.0/).

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073587 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 2 of 14

European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Society of Diabetes (EASD) on
diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it is stated that diabetic cardiomyopathy has not been
established as a unique clinical entity, and future development is awaited [2]. Data on
diabetic cardiomyopathy reported so far are presented in this review. This review provides
an overview of heart failure in diabetic patients for the clinical practice of clinicians.
Patients with obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia show similar cardiac dys-
function, and in the absence of diabetes, the condition may be called lipotoxic cardiomy-
opathy or obesity-related cardiomyopathy [10].

2. History of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Then, in 1972, Rubler et al. reported that there was no evidence of coronary artery
disease in autopsy results for four patients with diabetic glomerulosclerosis and heart
failure [11]. Myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis were noted in the hearts of those patients,
suggesting that the metabolism is responsible for this result. His description meets the
contemporary definition of cardiomyopathy of the European Society of Cardiology [12].
Rubler’s observations were supported by results reported by Regan in 1977 [13]. Autopsies
of 11 uncomplicated diabetic patients revealed that 9 had no coronary artery disease and
most of them died of heart failure. Collagen accumulation was present as perivascular,
intermuscular, or replacement fibrosis. Multiple samples of the left ventricle and septum
revealed increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol compared to controls. Therefore,
it was suggested that a diffuse extravascular abnormality is a basis for cardiomyopathic
features in diabetes.

3. Pathophysiology and Mechanism of Heart Failure Associated with Diabetes

There are different types of heart failure associated with diabetes. Except for coronary
artery disease, the frequency of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is as high as 40–60% [14].
It has been reported that approximately 40% of patients with heart failure with preserved
ejection fraction (HFpEF) have diabetes, and diabetes is thought to be closely related to the
pathophysiology of HFpEF [15]. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is the initial symptom,
and left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
(HFrEF) often appear as diabetes progresses.
Table 1 shows the currently considered mechanism of heart failure associated with
diabetes, and it is not limited to diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes-induced hyperglycemia
and hyperinsulinemia lead to capillary damage, myocardial fibrosis, and myocardial
hypertrophy with mitochondrial dysfunction [5,16–23]. Lipotoxicity with extensive fat
deposits or lipid droplets is observed on cardiomyocytes [23–26]. Furthermore, increased
oxidative stress and inflammation cause cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy.

Table 1. Pathogenesis of heart failure associated with diabetes.

1. Coronary artery disease

2. Ischemia due to capillary disorders (abnormal microcoronary circulation)
3. Increased myocardial fibrosis and myocardial hypertrophy
4. Increased activity of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS)
5. Impaired myocardial energy metabolism and lipotoxicity
a. Decrease in myocardial glucose utilization due to absolute and relative insulin deficiency
b. Increased uptake of fatty acids, increased intermediate products and lipotoxicity
6. Increased oxidative stress due to advanced glycation end products (AGEs), increased activity of RAAS
and mitochondrial dysfunction
7. Mitochondrial dysfunction
8. Inflammation
9. Abnormal myocardial calcium handling
10. Autonomic dysregulation in the heart
11. Sodium retention due to hyperinsulinemia
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 3 of 14

4. Lipotoxicity to the Myocardium

Excessive circulating free fatty acids that are increased due to diabetes and obesity
accumulate in the adipose tissue mainly as triglycerides. Ectopic fat that accumulates in or-
gans other than the adipocytes of visceral fat and subcutaneous fat causes the dysfunction of
cells and organs, such as the liver, pancreatic β cells, the skeletal muscle, and myocardium,
through the deterioration of mitochondrial function [25]. This is called lipotoxicity. Chronic
inflammation and insulin resistance occur due to fat accumulation in the liver and skeletal
muscle, resulting in impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.
In the heart, fat accumulation is present around the heart and in the myocardium.
Pericardial fat is divided into two types, paracardial fat located on the outside and epicardial
fat located on the inside, based on the epicardium. High epicardial fat mass measured
by computed tomography in a heart disease-free population has been reported to be an
independent predictor of the development of coronary artery disease [26].
Figure 1 shows the mechanism of lipotoxicity to the myocardium itself. An increase
in free fatty acids in the blood leads to an increase in fatty acids in cardiomyocytes. Ex-
cess fatty acids accumulate in cells as lipid droplets and triglycerides, and, at the same
time, diacylglycerol and ceramide, which is one of the sphingolipids, also increase [10].
Diacylglycerol causes the exacerbation of insulin resistance and oxidative stress through
the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). The level of diacylglycerol is increased, accom-
panied by increased membrane localization of PKC and decreased Akt activity in human
failing myocardium [27]. These observations suggest that diacylglycerol is a toxic lipid
intermediate in the heart. Ceramide causes mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.
C6-ceramide reduces Akt activity and increases brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA
expression in cardiomyocytes, and the inhibition of ceramide biosynthesis in the heart
improves lipotoxic cardiomyopathy [28]. These results suggest that ceramide accumulation
contributes to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction. It
has been reported that this lipotoxicity mainly impairs diastolic function [29].

Figure 1. Lipotoxicity to the myocardium in diabetic cardiomyopathy. CD36, cluster of differentiation

36; PKC, protein kinase C; PPARα, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α; ROS, reactive
oxygen species.

In diabetic cardiomyopathy, excess fatty acids activate peroxisome proliferator-activated

receptor α (PPARα), further increase fatty acid uptake via CD36, and promote lipotoxicity.
However, it has been reported that the activity of PPARα is reduced in hypertrophic and
failing hearts that are not caused by diabetes, resulting in β-oxidation attenuation of fatty acids
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 4 of 14

and energy deficiency [30]. Since there is no consensus on heart failure in general, further
studies are needed to clarify this point.

5. Increased Oxidative Stress in Myocardium

The mechanisms by which diabetes increases oxidative stress are as follows: (1) ox-
idative stress due to the abnormal regulation of the electron transport chain in mitochon-
dria, (2) enhanced renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity, and (3) increased oxidative stress due to advanced
glycation end products (AGEs) [5]. AGEs not only directly damage cells but also increase
oxidative stress by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [5]. Secretory
extracellular AGEs activate NADPH oxidase and increase oxidative stress and inflamma-
tion by binding to cell surface receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE).
Oxidative stress causes cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy [5,31,32].
High glucose has been shown to inhibit Nrf2- and Sirt1-mediated antioxidant sig-
naling and activate NF-κB-mediated inflammatory signaling [33]. Oxidative stress and
inflammation interact to increase the production of ROS and inflammatory factors, which
promote and exacerbate cardiac dysfunction and remodeling.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as the third gasotransmitter, may play an important role in
the cardiovascular system. H2S deficiency aggravated mitochondrial damage, increased
ROS accumulation, promoted necroptosis, activated NLRP3 inflammasome, and finally
exacerbated diabetic cardiomyopathy in the hearts of mice [34].

6. Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Insulin resistance leads to lower glucose utilization and oxidative reduction, which
results in an imbalance in the uptake and oxidation of fatty acids. Finally, they lead to
mitochondrial dysfunction [35]. Furthermore, in diabetes, progressive mitochondrial im-
pairment in cardiomyocytes causes lipid accumulation and results in the generation of a
large amount of ROS, which increase oxidative stress, worsening the diabetic cardiomyopa-
thy and further impairing myocardial function [36].
Mitophagy is a type of autophagy that occurs in dysfunctional mitochondria, and it
plays a key role in mitochondrial quality control. Mitophagy plays a protective role in
diabetic cardiomyopathy, principally through the clearance of abnormal mitochondria,
which prevents oxidative stress and reduces myocardial apoptosis [35]. However, excessive
mitophagy may exacerbate myocardial damage in patients with diabetic cardiomyopa-
thy [35]. Several signaling pathways that regulate mitophagy, including PINK1/parkin,
AMPK-mTOR, and Wnt pathways, have been identified.

7. Inflammation
Diabetes causes a chronic inflammatory condition mediated by increased inflam-
masome. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family, pyrin
domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is associated with the development of dia-
betic cardiomyopathy [37,38]. High FFA levels, impaired insulin metabolic signaling, and
hyperglycemia activate NLRP3. Activated NLRP3 induces interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and
interleukin-18 (IL-18) production and causes local tissue inflammation. Nuclear factor-kB
(NF-kB) and thioredoxin-interacting/-inhibiting protein (TXNIP) mediate the ROS-induced
caspase-1 and IL-1beta activation, which are the effectors of NLRP3 inflammasome [37].
NLRP3 inflammasome–caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis, a necrotic form of regulated cell
death [39], was found in the myocardium of diabetic rats [37]. NLRP3 gene silencing
therapy ameliorated cardiac inflammation, pyroptosis, fibrosis, and cardiac function [37].

8. Abnormal Myocardial Calcium Handling

Type II diabetes in mice leads to impaired contractility and relaxation due to elevated
intracellular resting Ca2+ , slowed Ca2+ transients, the reduction of sarcoplasmic reticulum
Ca2+ pumping, and the impairment of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ reuptake [40,41].
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 5 of 14

9. Autonomic Dysregulation in the Heart

Cardiac autonomic dysregulation or neuropathy includes abnormalities in heart rate
control, vascular hemodynamics, and cardiac structure and function [42]. Hyperglycemia is
a primary culprit, inducing oxidative stress and toxic glycosylation products, which results
in neuronal dysfunction and death.

10. Other Mechanisms

Other pathogenic mechanisms of heart failure associated with diabetes include sodium
retention due to hyperinsulinemia and vascular endothelial dysfunction. The vascular en-
dothelium regulates the contraction/relaxation of the vascular wall, the adhesion of inflam-
matory cells to the vascular wall, vascular permeability, and the coagulation/fibrinolytic
system. Among them, nitric oxide (NO) synthesized by endothelial nitric oxide synthase
(eNOS) shows vascular smooth muscle relaxation and is important for vascular tone control.
Endothelial dysfunction is observed in patients with heart failure [43] and it is associated
with an increased mortality risk in subjects with both ischemic and nonischemic heart fail-
ure [44]. In type 2 diabetes, vascular endothelial dysfunction is seen from the early stage of
impaired glucose tolerance and is deeply involved in the development and progression of ar-
teriosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Factors that cause vascular endothelial dysfunction
include hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia associated with insulin resistance, hypoglycemia,
and non-fasting hyperlipidemia (postprandial hyperlipidemia) [45,46]. In hyperglycemic
conditions, glucose uptake into endothelial cells via glucose transporter 1 (GLUT 1) is in-
creased. After that, protein kinase C (PKC) signaling and the formation of AGEs are enhanced,
resulting in intracellular metabolic disorders and endothelial cell dysfunction. The phospho-
inositide 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway, which is one of the insulin signaling pathways,
has NO-producing and vasodilatory effects on vascular endothelial cells. Insulin resistance
causes impaired signaling in this pathway, leading to progressive vascular endothelial dys-
function [47,48]. Hypoglycemia is thought to cause vascular endothelial dysfunction due
to an increase in reactive oxygen species and catecholamines [49] and an increase in inflam-
matory cytokines [50]. Rather than persistent hyperglycemia, a steep rise in blood glucose
due to postprandial hyperglycemia, that is, glycemic fluctuation, increases the production of
inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress and impairs vascular endothelial function. In
fact, vascular endothelial dysfunction, as assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), was
shown to be more severe in a group of patients with glycemic fluctuation than in a group of
patients with persistent hyperglycemia.
Blood triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein is increased through the dietary effects of
increased chylomicron remnants (extrinsic) and increased VLDL synthesis in the liver
(intrinsic). Furthermore, the delayed clearance of TG-rich lipoprotein causes non-fasting
hypertriglyceridemia (non-fasting hyperlipidemia). In particular, obese patients show
hypertriglyceridemia after meals from an early stage, and those with insulin resistance
(metabolic syndrome patients) have prolonged high TG levels. This non-fasting hyper-
lipidemia impairs vascular endothelial function [45]. It is thought that the increased
chylomicrons and VLDL remnants induce the production of inflammatory cytokines and
oxidative stress and further attenuate the activity of eNOS and impair vascular endothelial
function [45,51]. When a high-fat diet is consumed, blood TG, ApoB-48, and remnant-like
lipoprotein cholesterol levels increase and peak at 4 h after eating. Interestingly, postpran-
dial brachial artery FMD decreases and reaches the lowest level at the 4th hour after oral
fat load, and decreased vascular endothelial function was observed [45].

11. What Is an Effective Treatment?

Treatment of HF is similar for patients with and without diabetes. However, antidi-
abetic drugs have different effects in HF patients, and it is necessary to prioritize drugs
that are safe and reduce HF-related events [52]. We describe the effects of several drugs
in this review. However, diabetic cardiomyopathy is a specific entity, while the drugs
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 6 of 14

described below may or may not have effects on different cardiovascular endpoints in
subjects with diabetes.
Since there is a U-curve phenomenon between HbA1c and mortality in diabetic
patients with heart failure [53], it is difficult to improve the prognosis simply by lowering
blood glucose. In addition, it is assumed that hypoglycemia has adverse effects on the
cardiovascular system through the activation of sympathetic nerves and inflammation, and
it is, therefore, important to avoid the occurrence of hypoglycemia.
There are several negative opinions about the effectiveness of intensive glycemic
control in the primary prevention of heart failure. In a meta-analysis in which intensive
glycemic control was compared with conventional glycemic control, it was shown that
intensive therapy did not reduce the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure [54]. It
has also been pointed out that intensive glucose-lowering treatment may exacerbate heart
failure. A meta-analysis of 13 studies in 34,533 T2DM patients showed that intensive
glucose-lowering treatment did not reduce cardiovascular events, but instead increased the
risk of developing heart failure by 47% [55]. One of the mechanisms was the involvement
of hypoglycemia, which is increased by intensive glucose-lowering treatment and the
accompanying activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

11.1. Calorie Restriction

The basis of diabetes treatment is diet and exercise therapy, and if hypertension or
heart failure is complicated, salt intake should be further reduced. Regarding calories, it is
recommended to take calories based on the formula of “appropriate daily energy amount
(kcal) = standard weight (kg) × physical activity amount”. In short-lived model organisms,
such as yeast, nematodes, flies, and mice, calorie restriction extends their lifespan. Studies
in healthy humans have also shown improved health-related quality of life and reduced
oxidative stress in a 2-year 15% calorie-restricted group compared to those in a group
without restriction [56]. Whether or not calorie restriction will be an effective treatment for
human heart failure remains to be seen.

11.2. Sulfonylureas
Sulfonylureas may increase the risk of developing heart failure. In a retrospective
study, the risk of myocardial infarction, total mortality, and the risk of developing heart
failure were compared among groups of diabetes treatment drugs [57]. It has been reported
that total mortality increased by 24–61% and heart failure increased by 18–30% when
sulfonylureas alone were used compared to metformin monotherapy.

11.3. Insulin
Insulin is needed in patients with type 1 diabetes and for the control of hyperglycemia
in some patients with type 2 diabetes. Since sodium retention is enhanced in the kidney,
there is a concern that fluid retention in patients with heart failure may be exacerbated.

11.4. Thiazolidinediones
Pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione, increases the risk of developing heart failure [58]
and is not used in patients with heart failure. However, pioglitazone does not reduce
cardiac function. Pioglitazone promotes Na + reabsorption and promotes fluid retention
by activating sodium transporters in the proximal tubule and epithelial sodium channels
in the collecting duct via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). On the
other hand, pioglitazone is often used for secondary preventive purposes because it has a
strong preventive effect on cardiovascular events [57]. In that case, to prevent the onset
of heart failure due to fluid retention, it is recommended to use it in combination with a
mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist or thiazide diuretics.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 7 of 14

11.5. Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP4) Inhibitors

There is little evidence that DPP4 inhibitors have a preventive effect on heart failure.
It has been reported that DPP-4 inhibitors do not improve left ventricular diastolic function
in patients with diabetes [59]. DPP4 inhibitors did not show a significant increase in
the risk of developing heart failure compared to the placebo group in many long-term
cardiovascular safety studies [60–62]. However, in the SAVOR-TIMI 53 study, it was shown
that there was a risk of developing heart failure in the saxagliptin group [63]. There was
no difference between the saxagliptin and placebo groups in rates of cardiovascular death,
myocardial infarction, and stroke in patients with a history of cardiovascular events or in
high-risk patients. However, in the saxagliptin group, hospitalization for heart failure was
significantly increased compared to that in the placebo group. The reason is that DPP4
degrades not only glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), but also bioactive proteins such as
substance P and neuropeptide Y [64]. DPP4 inhibitors increase sympathetic nerve activity
by increasing their bioactive proteins, which may be involved in the onset of heart failure.
Although no conclusions have been reached as to whether DPP4 inhibitors increase the risk
of developing heart failure, DPP4 inhibitors are unlikely to reduce the risk of developing
heart failure in diabetics.

11.6. Metformin
In the recent guidelines of the ESC for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic
heart failure [52], it is stated that metformin is thought to be safe in patients with HF,
compared with insulin and sulfonylureas, on the basis of the results of observational stud-
ies [65,66]. Metformin is not recommended in patients with an eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2
because of the risk of lactic acidosis. So far, there has been no randomized controlled
trial [52]. One of the mechanisms of action of metformin is the activation of AMP-activated
protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK is an enzyme that regulates energy metabolism in vari-
ous tissues including the heart, liver, and muscles. Metformin improved left ventricular
function and prolonged the survival of mice with heart failure due to ischemia [67]. Met-
formin improved cardiac function in a dog model of pacing-induced heart failure [68]. The
mechanism was mediated by AMP-kinase activation. These results suggest the existence of
direct myocardial protection and heart failure-improving effect of metformin that does not
depend on blood glucose improvement.

11.7. Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitor

In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, empagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, suppressed
heart failure hospitalization and heart failure death in patients with type 2 diabetes with
a history of cardiovascular disease [69]. Similarly, in the CANVAS trial, canagliflozin, an
SGLT2 inhibitor, reduced hospitalization for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes
and a high cardiovascular risk [70]. Given these findings, SGLT2 inhibitors seem to be
effective in preventing heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes who have a history
of cardiovascular disease, but primary prevention and effectiveness in the elderly aged
75 years or over are considered to be issues for the future [71]. The recently reported
DECLARE-TIMI58 study included many cases of primary prevention of cardiovascular dis-
ease (59%) [72]. Dapagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, significantly suppressed hospitalization
for heart failure in patients with or without a history of heart failure. It is expected that
SGLT2 inhibitors will have a wide range of preventive effects on heart failure in diabetic
patients in the future.
Many mechanisms are considered to be the mechanism by which SGLT2 inhibitors
prevent and improve heart failure (Figure 2) [73–76].
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 8 of 14

Figure 2. Mechanisms by which SGLT2 inhibitors prevent and improve heart failure. SGLT2, sodium
glucose cotransporter 2; late-INa , late component of the cardiac sodium channel current.

There are two major mechanisms by which SGLT2 inhibitors prevent and improve
heart failure, including metabolic and hemodynamic mechanisms. Metabolic mechanisms
include a hypoglycemic effect, protection from lipotoxicity, weight loss, an increase in
ketone in blood, a decrease in insulin, and the improvement of insulin resistance. Hemo-
dynamic mechanisms include a diuretic effect and a decrease in blood pressure. As for
protection from lipotoxicity, SGLT2 inhibitors decrease lipid accumulation in visceral fat
and adipose lipolysis. The protective effect against lipotoxicity to the myocardium is not
yet clear. Further studies are needed to clarify this point. Regarding the blood pressure-
lowering effect, a blood pressure-lowering effect of about −3 mmHg was also observed in
the above-mentioned EMPA-REG OUTCOME, CANVAS test, and DECLARE-TIMI58 trials.
We also investigated the effect of tofogliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, in dahl salt-sensitive
rats fed a high-salt and high-fat diet. A blood pressure-lowering effect of about −3 mmHg
and a cardiac hypertrophy-suppressing effect were observed [77].
A decrease in sympathetic nerve activity by SGLT2 inhibitors has been proposed as
an additional mechanism [74]. A common feature of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is
the chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system. SGLT2 inhibitors improved
the circadian rhythm of sympathetic activity in rats with metabolic syndrome [78] and
reduced the high-fat-diet-induced elevation of tyrosine hydroxylase and noradrenaline
in the kidneys and hearts of mice [79]. In patients with T2DM, a higher heart rate (HR)
is associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular complications. Among
patients with a resting HR > 70 beats per minute, a higher HR was associated with a larger
decrease after starting treatment with luseogliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor [80].
Recently, it has been reported that empagliflozin attenuates the late component of
cardiac sodium channel current (late-INa ) [81]. The induction of late-INa is involved in
the etiology of heart failure and arrhythmias [82], and drugs that are known to inhibit
late-INa, such as ranolazine, reduce diastolic calcium loading in heart failure and long QT
syndrome 3 (LQT3) models [83,84]. It was shown by using molecular docking techniques
that empagliflozin binds to Nav1.5 in the same region as local anesthetics and ranolazine.
The cardiac sodium channel may, therefore, be an important molecular target in the heart for
SGLT2 inhibitors that significantly contributes to their beneficial effects against heart failure.
In patients with HFrEF and with or without type 2 diabetes, dapagliflozin in addi-
tion to standard treatment for heart failure significantly reduced the primary composite
endpoint of worsening heart failure (hospitalization or an urgent visit resulting in intra-
venous therapy for heart failure) or cardiovascular death compared to those in the placebo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 9 of 14

group (DAPA-HF) [85]. Empagliflozin significantly reduced the primary composite end-
point of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening heart failure compared to
that in the placebo group in patients with HFrEF and with or without type 2 diabetes
(EMPEROR-Reduced) [86]. These effects were consistent regardless of the presence or
absence of diabetes.
Regarding HFpEF, concentrations of BNP, a biomarker of heart failure, decreased after
the initiation of treatment with either luseogliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, or voglibose, an
alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and HFpEF (MUSCAT-
HF study) [87]. Recently, it was shown that sotagliflozin reduced the risks of death from
cardiovascular causes, hospitalization for heart failure, and an urgent visit for heart failure
among patients with diabetes mellitus and a recent worsening of HFrEF or HFpEF [88].
Empagliflozin also significantly reduced the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular
death or hospitalization for worsening heart failure compared to that in the placebo group
in patients with HFpEF and with or without type 2 diabetes (EMPEROR-Preserved) [89].
With regard to the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of
SGLT2i, the diuretic action of SGLT2i deserves some consideration, since the results of
EMPEROR-Preserved may support such a contributory role [90]. The 21% lower risk in the
composite primary outcome obtained with empagliflozin was mainly driven by a reduction
in HF hospitalizations, since no significant difference in cardiovascular death was recorded.
SGLT2 inhibitors reduced sudden cardiac death in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial [69].
There are several possible mechanisms for the reduction in sudden cardiac death. One
possible mechanism is an increase in serum magnesium concentration due to SGLT2 inhibi-
tion [91]. Hypomagnesemia tends to cause premature ventricular contractions, particularly
in diabetic patients [92]. Serum Mg increased by 0.1 mEq/L (0.05 mmol/L) during em-
pagliflozin treatment in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME study. These effects might contribute
to the prevention of sudden cardiac death. As another possible mechanism, SGLT’s down-
regulation by SGLT2 inhibitors has been reported [93]. In a study using iPS-derived car-
diomyocytes, high-glucose culture increased the cell size, SGLT1/SGLT2 was upregulated,
and Ca2+ flowed into the cells via the sodium–calcium exchanger. Intracellular Ca overload
causes delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) and is prone to arrhythmia, but empagliflozin
treatment downregulates SGLT1/SGLT2 and these effects are canceled. Another possible
mechanism is the attenuation of late-INa by SGLT2 inhibitors, as mentioned above [81]. The
induction of late-INa contributes to action potential prolongation, calcium loading, and the
generation of early and delayed afterdepolarizations. Therefore, the inhibition of late-INa
by SGLT2 inhibitors may also contribute to the prevention of sudden cardiac death.

11.8. Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists

SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists lowered all-cause mortality, cardiovas-
cular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and kidney failure, but GLP-1 receptor
agonists had little or no effect on hospitalizations for heart failure [94].

12. Conclusions
The pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy and treatments for heart failure
with diabetes reported so far are presented in this review. Treatment with an SGLT2
inhibitor is currently one of the most effective treatments for heart failure associated with
diabetes. However, an effective treatment for the lipotoxicity of the myocardium has not
been established, and the establishment of an effective treatment is needed in the future.

Author Contributions: K.N. and H.S. planned the article, T.M., M.Y. (Masashi Yoshida), S.A., Y.S.,
K.E., N.M., K.I. (Keishi Ichikawa), K.I. (Keiichiro Iwasaki), T.N., Y.N. and M.Y. (Masatoki Yoshida)
contributed to the literature review and H.I. provided supervision. All authors have read and agreed
to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3587 10 of 14

Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.

Acknowledgments: We thank Kaoru Akazawa, Megumi Kondo, Yuko Kobayashi, Miyuki Misunaga,
and Masayo Ohmori for their excellent technical assistance.
Conflicts of Interest: Nakamura received lecture fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd.,
Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma K.K., MSD K.K., and AstraZeneca plc. outside the
submitted work. Miyoshi received lecture fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Taisho
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma K.K., and MSD K.K. outside the submitted work. Dr.
Masashi Yoshida received lecture fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., and Novartis
Pharma K.K. outside the submitted work. Akagi received lecture fees from Nippon Boehringer
Ingelheim Co., Ltd., and Novartis Pharma K.K. outside the submitted work. Ejiri received lecture
fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Novartis
Pharma K.K. outside the submitted work. Ito received scholarship donation and lecture fees from
Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma K.K.,
MSD K.K., AstraZeneca plc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Daiichi-Sankyo Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.,
and Tanabe-Mitsubishi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., outside the submitted work. The other authors
declare no conflict of interest.

Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript:
AMPK AMP-activated protein kinase
BNP brain natriuretic peptide
CD36 cluster of differentiation 36
DPP4 dipeptidyl peptidase-4
HFpEF heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
HFrEF heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
IL-1β interleukin-1-beta
IL-18 interleukin-18
NADPH nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate
late-INa late component of the cardiac sodium channel current
NF-kB nuclear factor-kB
NLRP3 nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3
TXNIP thioredoxin-interacting/-inhibiting protein (TXNIP)
PKC protein kinase C
PPARα peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α
ROS reactive oxygen species
SGLT2 sodium glucose cotransporter 2

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