Jardiance for CHF

I’ve never heard of anyone taking this for CHF! Is it to lose weight for your heart issues or to actually help your heart issue diagnosis?

Yes, it has been proven helpful to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalizations due to heart disease. I am also borderline diabetic.

Hello joyh

I take 25 mg. of Jardiance a day. I have done so for about 8 years. I am a type 2 diabetic. I experience no discernable side effects from it apart from the fact that it does cause one to relieve oneself more often. Which is what it is supposed to do. (It is not a diuretic but does have some similar qualities.) Therefore, it is a medication one should take early in the morning. I have included a link to explain Jardiance’s role in the treatment of CHF for those who are unaware.
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/jardiance-heart-failure
It s my understanding that if one is not diabetic, then a reduced dose of Jardiance is prescribed. I believe the dose is 10 mg.

Like you, I also take Entresto. While there is some overlap, (reduction of fluid) Jardiance and Entresto work in very different ways .
The two active substances in Entresto, sacubitril and valsartan, work in different ways. Sacubitril blocks the breakdown of natriuretic peptides produced in the body. Natriuretic peptides cause sodium and water to pass into the urine thereby reducing the strain on the heart. They also reduce blood pressure and protect the heart from developing fibrosis (scar tissue) that occurs in heart failure. Valsartan is an ‘angiotensin-II-receptor antagonist’, which means that it blocks the action of a hormone called angiotensin II. The effects of angiotensin II can be harmful in patients with heart failure. By blocking the receptors (targets) to which angiotensin II normally attaches, valsartan stops the hormone’s harmful effects on the heart and also reduces blood pressure by allowing blood vessels to widen.
Jardiance works by reducing the amount of fluid in your bod, thereby reducing the load on your heart.
I was prescribed Jardiance before I received my diagnosis of CHF. The cardiologist I attend informed me that if I had not already been on the medication, he would have prescribed it for me. He said that it has become one of the important medications in the treatment of CHF and has shown itself to be highly effective for the very reasons you point out, Joy.
Unlike Ozempic, I don't believe Jardiance is seen as a weight loss drug. But then again, that was not the original intended use for Ozempic, either. (I take it as well and not for weight loss.)
I find it encouraging and more than a little fascinating that more and more so called "off label" uses are being found for established medications. One should always keep in mind that this is not new. Once upon a time, the famous “little blue pill”, was developed as a cardiac medication to help reduce ischemia-induced arrhythmias. Then it was noticed by the powers that be that the medication had this other, uh, “interesting” side effect, and Viagra was born.
So, in closing, as someone who has a CRT-D and is in end stage CHF, it is important to me to help my heart do its job as well as it can. Medications are one part of the equation.
Wishing you the very best of the season.

That's my understanding [also] - it's used to reduce the risk of hospitalization and risk of cardiovascular death - and I was given Jardiance for CHF in Jan.2021 but I never got to use it - because my kidney function remained too low.

Greetings!
Thanks so much for sharing all of this valuable information!! I am hopeful that I qualify for assistance to help me afford beginning Jardiance which is very costly, but could be very helpful for me. I too have a CRT-and am hoping to prolong my life even more with the help of my Mayo Cardiology Team.
Kindest regards on your journey with heart disease.

Thanks so much for the comments. I'm so sorry to hear of your kidney function difficulties. As of now my numbers are good and hope they stay that way. Wishing you the very best! Sending you hugs!

The whole story is this….it was developed for type 2 diabetes. But…a meta study done discovered that among those taking Jardiance for diabetes, those with kidney failure saw an improvement with Jardiance, it was then that the FDA approved Jardiance for kidney failure too. A second meta study done on those with kidney failure then discovered that those with CHF discovered an improvement in that condition too…so the FDA approved Jardiance for CHF.

So, Jardiance is a SGLT2 inhibitor. That means it prevents the kidney from reabsorbing salt and glucose. So, you can see it acts in some ways like Lasix. Some question the need for both Lasix and Jardiance.

I have been taking Jardiance for CHF for the last 2 years. It does seem to help to let off some of the water pressure on my heart. I can breathe a bit easier.

Since it is approved to help kidney failure…I cannot understand why any doctor would give kidney failure as a reason to not take it.

Hi - Mayo provides good data.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/empagliflozin-oral-route/description/drg-20113010

I was diagnosed with CHF about 3 years ago and I was put on Entresto and Farxiga. After two months on Farxiga I was taken off because I was having severe bouts of hypoglycemia as I have a normal blood sugar and not a diabetic. Jardiance and Farxiga are very similar in what they are targeted to do, but the active ingredient is different. I ended up getting a pacemaker due to an electrical issue with my heart and while I remain on Entresto plus carvadilol, I know that they pacemaker made all the difference in the world. I am heading to Patagonia to do lots of hiking!

Hello to all, I recently began taking Jardiance for another heart issue. Local pharmacy (Walmart)price was $440.00. We found it at wall greens for a third of that but Northwest Pharmacy in B.C is $144.00 for a 90 day supply. My PA at Mayo gave me a Rx and I did receive my supplies from Canada. At first they quoted me list price but when I mentioned the price I had looked up they agreed to the $144 price. Hope this helps someone.