“Star Trek” knows about transporter inhibitors: Lieutenant Commander Data used one while on a Federation mission scout ship to prevent himself from being beamed away by a USS Enterprise-E shuttlecraft.

Likewise, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors might provide similarly effective protection for people with heart failure.

Known as SGLT2 inhibitors, this Type 2 diabetes medication lowers blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine.

But according to a new study in Annals of Internal Medicine, it is also hugely beneficial for folks with heart failure — regardless of whether they have diabetes. The researchers analyzed eight randomized, controlled trials that included more than 15,000 participants. They found that after one year of treatment, SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a 32% lower risk for hospitalization due to heart failure and a 26% reduction after two years.

In addition, the medication reduced the risk of cardiovascular death by 14%. It seems to work by reducing the sodium content in heart cells, which reduces a calcium overload that can cause arrhythmias.

But the medication does have side effects. The researchers highlighted the risk of genital infections, and the Food and Drug ­Administration says that it also has been associated with kidney problems, leg and foot amputations, decreased bone mineral density and UTIs.

So if you have heart failure, ask your doctor about the benefits and risks of SGLT2 inhibitors for you.

Adjust diet to boost anti-aging powers

When the 216-pound sumo wrestler from the Czech Republic, Takano­yama Shuntaro, went up against a 387-pound Brazilian opponent, no one thought he’d win. But he flipped the big guy on his back in a few seconds, proving that the right technique can trump sheer size.

The same is true when it comes to having good metabolic health and staying younger than your years.

A lab study in the journal Cell Metabolism found that coming up with the right balance of proteins, fats and healthy carbs in your diet actually empowers your cells to function longer and stronger. That’s because they improve metabolic pathways in the liver and strengthen basic cell functions. And that protects you from premature aging, obesity, heart disease, immune dysfunction and risk of metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes.

In contrast, the study found that anti-aging drugs, such as the diabetes medication metformin; an immune-­modulating, anti-­inflammatory medication called rapamycin; and resveratrol, which is know for its anti-tumor, antioxidant, antiviral and phytoestrogenic powers, just dampen the bad effects of an unhealthy diet. They don’t empower your cells and metabolism to undo the damage.

The upshot is, you can become younger with every bite: High-quality protein from plants, salmon and skinless poultry, healthy fats from salmon and olive oil, and unprocessed carbs can do the trick.