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Review
. 2024 Sep 1;36(5):351-359.
doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000001030. Epub 2024 Jul 24.

SGLT-2 inhibitors: new horizons for rheumatologists

Katherine Chakrabarti  1 , W Joseph McCune
Affiliations
Review

SGLT-2 inhibitors: new horizons for rheumatologists

Katherine Chakrabarti et al. Curr Opin Rheumatol. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of medications initially developed for the treatment of diabetes, although their cardiac and renal protective benefits are far reaching. There has been marked interest in the rheumatology community to adopt these medications into our clinical practice, particularly for chronic kidney disease with persistent proteinuria.

Recent findings: SGLT2 inhibitors have been approved for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the setting of type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as chronic kidney disease with proteinuria. Large studies on SGLT2 inhibitors have largely excluded patients with proteinuric chronic kidney disease due to autoimmune glomerulonephritis due to concerns for confounding from immunosuppression. The Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in CKD Trial (DAPA-CKD) showed that SGLT2 inhibition decreased progression of renal disease in patients with IgA nephropathy. Expanding this to other autoimmune glomerulonephropathies, several small studies have shown improvements in proteinuria in patients with lupus nephritis treated with SGLT2 inhibitors. A study evaluating safety of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with lupus identified no specific concerns even with concomitant use of immunosuppression.

Summary: Small studies have shown that SGLT2 inhibitors can been utilized safely and efficaciously in patients with lupus nephritis. Additional research is needed to identify where these medications fit into the rheumatology treatment armamentarium.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

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References

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    2. SGLT2 inhibitor use in 270 patients with IgA nephropathy decreased albuminuria and reduced risk of progression to chronic kidney disease while maintaining an appropriate safety profile. These data sparked interest in use of SGLT2 inhibitors in other autoimmune glomerulonephritis.

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