Clinical and biochemical outcomes of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients as a fourth oral anti diabetic medicine

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and biochemical effects of (SGLT2) inhibitors as a fourth oral anti-diabetic drug in patients with Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: In a tertiary hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, a retrospective assessment of patient medical records was conducted from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020.A total of one hundred patients (mean age [Standard Deviation]: 53.8 [9.63] years) with poorly controlled T2DM were included. Data was collected before the SGLT-2 inhibitor was added, as well as three and six months after the medicine was started. Weight, BMI, blood pressure (BP), HbA1c, SGPT, and Creatinine were measured at the start and during the study. Results: There was a significant reduction in HbA1c (p-value < 0.001) with a mean reduction (MR) of 0.81+1.02% at three months and 1.07+1.11% at six months. A mean weight reduction (p-value < 0.001) of 1.83+2.32 kg at three months and 4.02+6.04 kg at 6 months, respectively, was recorded. A mean BMI reduction of 0.69+0.95 kgm-2 at three months and 2.13+3.41 kgm-2 at six months of follow up, respectively were recorded. A systolic blood pressure (SBP) also showed a significant reduction (p-value < 0.05) with a MR of 5.9+15.76 mmHg at three months and 6.37+18.33 mmHg at 6 months, respectively. Non-significant variation in creatinine and SGPT was also noted. Conclusions: SGLT-2 is an effective oral anti-diabetic medicine that can help individuals with diabetes who are currently using glucose-lowering oral anti-diabetic medications. These medications can help diabetic patients stick to their regimen.