Which is the main molecular target responsible for the cardiovascular benefits in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial? A journey through the kidney, the heart and other interesting places

The available evidence is insufficient to establish any of the proposed mechanisms of cardiovascular action of empagliflozin. While awaiting for the results of ongoing clinical studies with other SGLT2 inhibitors, the most promising putative mechanisms still deserve to be confirmed with specifically designed, yet unavailable, pre-clinical studies.