Sodium-glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors: Impact on Body Weight and Blood Pressure Compared with other Antidiabetic Drugs

Abstract

Background: Sodium-glucose co-transporters 2 inhibitors have emerged as a novel antidiabetic class of drugs offering significant ameliorating effects on a variety of cardiovascular risk factors, secondary to their mechanism of action, including blood pressure and body weight.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to discuss available data on the impact of SGLT-2 inhibitors on blood pressure and body weight compared with other available anti-diabetic drugs and to present potential mechanisms mediating these effects.

Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify studies examining the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors on blood pressure and body weight.

Results: SGLT-2 inhibition has been related with a mild decrease in blood pressure of approximately 3-5mmHg in systolic and 1-2mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. These data have been confirmed with 24h ambulatory measurements, as well. Furthermore, given the loss of calories in the urine, a mild decrease in body weight is anticipated, as well. Studies with this class of drugs noted a reduction in body weight of 2 to 3 kg, similar to the loss noted with the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 analogues, the only class of drugs that has offered significant reductions in body weight so far. Consclusion: The beneficial effects of the SGLT-2 inhibition on an abundance of cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure and body weight, have created great expectations for potential benefits from the cardiovascular events standpoint, a theory that was confirmed in the two available cardiovascular studies of this promising class of drugs.

Keywords: SGLT-2 inhibitors; blood pressure; body weight; cardiovascular events; cardiovascular risk; diabetes mellitus..