Empagliflozin to improve right heart function in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Master - 2/2 Empaglifozin To Improve Right Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
This trial sees if taking a daily 10 mg empagliflozin pill for 24 weeks helps people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) improve how the right side of their heart pumps.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181175 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned to get either empagliflozin or a placebo without knowing which one, and neither your doctors nor you would know the assignment (double-blind). The main measurement is change in right ventricular ejection fraction using cardiac MRI after 24 weeks, with other checks at 12 weeks and 24 weeks including echo measures (TAPSE), a 6-minute walk test, quality-of-life questionnaires, and blood NT-proBNP levels. The trial runs at three clinical centers and includes a composite “time to clinical worsening” outcome and French Risk Score thresholds. A central Data Coordinating Center will run the statistics and explore imaging and clinical patterns linked to who benefits most.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a confirmed diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension who meet the study's eligibility rules and can complete cardiac MRI and follow-up visits would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without PAH, those with contraindications to SGLT2 inhibitors (for example severe kidney disease), or those unable to undergo cardiac MRI are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, empagliflozin could improve right ventricular function, exercise capacity, and quality of life for people with PAH.
How similar studies have performed: SGLT2 drugs like empagliflozin have improved outcomes in other forms of heart failure, but using empagliflozin specifically to help right ventricular function in PAH is largely new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gassman, Jennifer J — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Gassman, Jennifer J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.