Research shows the newest glucose-lowering drug could reduce the risks of renal and respiratory diseases

Medical Xpress / The Univ of H K / JAMA Net Open / The Jrnl of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ^ | March 3, 2023 | Philip C. M. Au et al

[ConservativeMind]

A research team has discovered that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) could reduce the risks of renal and respiratory diseases, including end-stage renal disease (ESRD), obstructive airway disease (OAD) and pneumonia in a retrospective cohort study.

These studies provided novel real-world evidence that SGLT2i could confer extra-glycemic protection to patients with type 2 diabetes and potentially be a better alternative to an older class of glucose-lowering drugs, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i).

SGLT2i are a new class of second-line glucose-lowering drugs for type 2 diabetes.

However, it is not clear whether SGLT2i could provide better cardiorenal protection when compared to DPP4i. A retrospective cohort study has been conducted so to investigate the association of SGLT2i, with 4 renal outcomes, namely ESRD, albuminuria, acute renal failure (ARF), and the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

The team also conducted another retrospective cohort study to investigate the association of SGLT2i with the risk of OAD and pneumonia because SGLT2i were shown to inhibit lung NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which has been implicated in both asthmatic airway inflammation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations in some animal studies.

From a cohort of more than 30,000 patients with type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong, after adjusting for potential confounders, the team found that compared to DPP4i, SGLT2i were significantly associated (P-value <0.05) with an 81% reduced risk of ESRD, a 70% reduced risk of ARF, a 50% reduced risk of albuminuria, as well as a slower decline in eGFR.

For respiratory outcomes, SGLT2i were significantly associated with a 35% reduced risk of OAD and a 46% reduced rate of OAD exacerbations, as well as a 41% reduced risk of pneumonia.

Dr. Cheung Ching-lung commented, "All in all, SGLT2i could potentially be a better alternative drug to DPP4i and be used as an extra-glycemic drug."

[ConservativeMind]

For diabetics, the new SGLT2i drugs appear to even help with kidney function and lung function.

Note these were associations, not full proof, but they were far better than the existing drugs, assuming other factors were roughly the same, it could mean causality.

[ConservativeMind]

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[BipolarBob]

Then a big company needs to buy it and charge 1000% markup if it is lifesaving and works.

/sarc

[sauropod]

.

[Trumpisourlastchance]

Eating an human species appropriate diet would prevent these problems.

But most people are addicted to processed poisonous food. That was by design. So now you get to go bankrupt and mess up your health in other ways thanks to Pharma.

[jonrick46]

Will this new SGLT2i drug help with diabetes? It would be nice if there was a different drug besides insulin.