AUTHOR=Scisciola Lucia , Cataldo Vittoria , Taktaz Fatemeh , Fontanella Rosaria Anna , Pesapane Ada , Ghosh Puja , Franzese Martina , Puocci Armando , De Angelis Antonella , Sportiello Liberata , Marfella Raffaele , Barbieri Michelangela 

TITLE=Anti-inflammatory role of SGLT2 inhibitors as part of their anti-atherosclerotic activity: Data from basic science and clinical trials

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.1008922

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2022.1008922

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory disease leading to mortality and morbidity in the civilized world. Atherosclerosis manifests as an accumulation of plaques in the intimal layer of the arterial wall that, by its subsequent erosion or rupture, triggers cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes mellitus is a well-known risk factor for atherosclerosis. Indeed, Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients have an increased risk of atherosclerosis and its associated-cardiovascular complications than non-diabetic patients. Sodium-glucose co-transport 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a novel anti-diabetic drugs, have a surprising advantage in cardiovascular effects, such as reducing cardiovascular death in a patient with or without diabetes. Numerous studies have shown that atherosclerosis is a process that lowers a highly significant inflammatory burden and that SGLT2i may have some role in inflammation. In fact, several experiment results have shown that SGLT2i, with suppression of inflammatory mechanism, slows the progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the use of SGLT2i may have a double benefit both in terms of metabolic control and control of the atherosclerotic process at both a myocardial and vascular level.  
This review elaborates on the anti-inflammatory effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors on atherosclerosis.