DPP-4 inhibitors use not linked to pneumonia in diabetics, says study

DPP‐4i are a class of oral hypoglycemia drugs that block the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4. They are used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. There have been concerns regarding DPP-4i to be associated with pneumonia risk. Mario Luca Morieri, University of Padova, Padova, Italy, and colleagues analyzed observational data and clinical trials to explore whether the use of DPP‐4i modifies the risk of pneumonia.

The researchers identified diabetes patients in the Veneto Region administrative database. They performed propensity score matching (PSM) between new users of DPP‐4 inhibitors and new users of other oral glucose-lowering medications (OGLM). The rate of hospitalization for pneumonia between matched cohorts were then compared using the Cox proportional hazard model. The same analysis was repeated using the database of a local diabetes outpatient clinic.