Perspective of SGLT2i in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract

The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in the elderly is increasing year by year with high mortality. Current treatment is mainly through surgery or endovascular intervention, which is not sufficient to reduce future risk. Therefore, we still need to find an effective conservative measure as an adjunct therapy or early intervention to prevent AAA progression. Traditional therapeutic agents, such as β-receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and statins, have been shown to have limited effects on the growth of AAA. Recently, Sodium-glucose co-transport proteins inhibitors (SGLT2i), a new class hypoglycemic drug, have shown outstanding beneficiary effects on cardiovascular diseases via plasma volume reduction, vascular tone regulation and various unidentified mechanisms. It has been demonstrated that SGLT2 is abundantly expressed in the aorta, and some studies also showed promising results of SGLT2i in treating animal AAA models. This article aims to summarize the recent progress of AAA studies and look forward to the application of SGLT2i in AAA treatment for early intervention or adjunct therapy after surgical repair or stent-graft.