Can a common diabetes drug make arteries younger? VA launches new trial
NCT ID NCT06745063
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether empagliflozin, a drug used for diabetes, can make arteries less stiff in veterans with obesity. Fifty participants will take either the drug or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in arterial stiffness using a standard test. The goal is to see if this drug can improve blood vessel health beyond its usual use.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Empagliflozin (a diabetes drug being tested for artery health)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to improve blood vessel health in people with obesity, potentially reducing heart risks.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 50 participants. The drug may not improve artery stiffness, and results may not apply to people without obesity or with other health conditions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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30 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Body mass index (BMI) 30-45 kg/m2 * 30-60 years of age at randomization * Evidence of arterial stiffening (defined as Carotid femoral PWV\>age-predicted) at screening visit (PMID: 20530030) Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to provide consent * Diabetes mellitus * Uncontrolled hypertension (\>180/90mmHg) or systolic \<100mmHg at screening visit * Known history of cardiovascular disease: heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral artery disease or stroke * Diagnosis of chronic kidney disease * Active cancer (excluding basal cell carcinoma or stage 1 squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) * Excessive alcohol consumption (\>14 drinks/week for men, \>7 drinks/week for women) * Use of GLP-1 analogs or SGLT2 inhibitors * Use of hormone replacement therapy * Use of pharmacological therapy for weight loss * Body weight changes \>10% within the past 6 months * History of hypersensitivity to nitrates * History of ketoacidosis * History of recurrent UTIs or mycotic genital infections * Use of anticoagulants * Change in anti-hypertensive medication regimen (if in use) during the last 90 days * Pregnancy
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Harry S. Truman Memorial, Columbia, MO
RECRUITINGColumbia, Missouri, 65201-5275, United States
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