Effects of SGLT-2 Inhibition on Myocardial Fibrosis and Inflammation as Assessed by Cardiac MRI in Patients With DM2

Given the unmet needs for CVD risk reduction in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), the promising findings of more effective glucose management and reductions in overall CVD events and hospitalization for heart failure with SGLT-2 inhibition demonstrated in recent trials, and the capability of cardiac MRI (CMRI) with T1- and T2-mapping in assessments of myocardial fibrosis and inflammation, the investigators propose to conduct a staged research program using adaptive study design to investigate the effects of SGLT-2 inhibition with dapagliflozin on myocardial strain, fibrosis and inflammation as assessed by cardiac MRI with T1- and T2-mapping in patients with type-2 diabetes. A total of 60 subjects with \>=18 years of age, type-2 diabetes history \>=5 years and HbA1C 7-10% will be randomized at 1:1 to Dapagliflozin 10mg or matching placebo once daily for 1 year. All subjects will be followed every 3 months for clinical and laboratory evaluations and assessments. All subjects will undergo CMRI at baseline and 1 year. The primary myocardial strain endpoint includes global myocardial longitudinal strain (GLS). Myocardial fibrosis endpoint is change in extracellular volume fraction (ECV) as assessed by T1-mapping over 12 months. ECV combines native and contrast-enhanced T1 mapping. The change of the T1 relaxation rate (i.e., 1/T1) in blood between pre- and post-contrast imaging is converted with the blood hematocrit into a reference for plasma T1, which serves as reference for the T1 changes in tissue.