SGLT2 inhibitors not linked to venous thromboembolism in T2D patients

Sodium-glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors do not appear to induce an increased rate of venous thromboembolism in patients with type 2 diabetes as compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, which provides reassurance in terms of the thromboembolic safety of the former, according to a recent study.

Overall, 219,538 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 2,152 had venous thromboembolism and were matched to 85,104 controls. Current use of SGLT2 inhibitors, compared with DPP-4 inhibitors, correlated with a lower rate of venous thromboembolism (rate ratio [RR], 0.75, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.59–0.94). Effect estimates were comparable for dapagliflozin (RR, 0.77, 95 percent CI, 0.57–1.03) and empagliflozin (RR, 0.71, 95 percent CI, 0.52–0.98).

These findings showed that SGLT2 inhibitors were not associated with a higher rate of venous thromboembolism compared with DPP-4 inhibitors, indicating the safety of the former.

In this population-based cohort study, the authors used the InGef database and identified patients with type 2 diabetes newly treated with noninsulin antidiabetic drugs between 2012 and 2018. Cases of venous thromboembolism identified during follow-up were matched to 40 controls based on age, sex, cohort entry date, and follow-up duration.

Conditional logistic regression was performed to estimate the incidence RRs with 95 percent CIs of venous thromboembolism adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables, comparing current use of SGLT2 inhibitors with that of DPP-4 inhibitors.