SGLT2 inhibitors with metformin do not increase fracture risk in diabetics: Study

China: Combination therapy with SGLT2 inhibitors and metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) does not increase fracture risk versus metformin monotherapy, according to a recent study in the journal Osteoporosis International.

The researchers scrutinized online databases for all eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The summarized odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Review Manager 5.3 software.

A total of 25 RCTs involving 19,500 participants with T2D were included in this study. 

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Key findings of the study include:

"The results of our meta-analysis manifested no detrimental effect of SGLT2is combined with metformin therapy on fracture risk in T2DM patients. When stratified by control regimen, drug type, follow-up duration, and type of fracture, we still did not see a significant difference in the two sets of results," wrote the authors.

"SGLT2is and metformin combination therapy did not influence fracture risk compared with metformin monotherapy or other comparators in patients with T2DM," they concluded.

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The study, "Association between combined treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors and metformin for type 2 diabetes mellitus on fracture risk: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials," is published in the journal Osteoporosis International.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-020-05590-y