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

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2020-08-21T11:15:41+05:30 | Updated On 21 Aug 2020 5:56 PM IST

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.

According to the authors, no study has evaluated the association between sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and metformin use and fracture risk. Therefore the aim of this study by B-B. Qian, The Second Clinical College of Dalian Medical University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China, and colleagues was to investigate the fracture risk of SGLT2is and metformin combination therapy in T2D patients.

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.

Also Read: Metformin use may increase hospitalisation in COPD with diabetes, says study

Key findings of the study include:

There were 88 fracture cases in the SGLT2is in combination with metformin therapy group and 79 in the control group.
SGLT2is combined with metformin use did not influence fracture risk compared with metformin monotherapy or other comparators in patients with T2DM.
After stratification by drug type, follow-up time, control regimen, and type of fracture, the upshots were still stable.

"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.

Also Read: Prescribe SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP1 receptor agonists to reduce CV risk in diabetes: Expert Consensus

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

fractureOsteoporosis InternationalmetforminSGLT2 inhibitorssodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitorfracture riskdiabetes drugs

Source : journal Osteoporosis International

Medha Baranwal

MSc. Biotechnology

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751