Empagliflozin may decrease risk of kidney stones in diabetics

We all know that Empagliflozin is the drug used along with diet and exercise, and sometimes with other medications, to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It is also used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death in people who have type 2 diabetes along with heart and blood vessel disease. Also, empagliflozin is used in adults with heart failure to reduce the risk of needing to be hospitalized and death due to heart and blood vessel disease.

Now, this diabetes drug has been found to decrease the risk of kidney stones in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers used existing data from 20 randomized clinical trials to evaluate whether empagliflozin reduced the risk of kidney stones and they pooled data from 15,081 type 2 diabetes patients. Of these, 10,177 received empagliflozin and 4,904 received a placebo.

Patients took either empagliflozin or a placebo for about 1 ½ years. The results of the study showed that when compared with placebo, treatment with empagliflozin was associated with an approximate 40% reduced risk of kidney stones in type 2 diabetes patients. While the precise mechanism is not known, the findings did mean that empagliflozin may be used to prevent kidney stones in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

This study was presented Sunday, June 12 at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.