Title:Sodium-glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors: Impact on Body Weight and Blood Pressure Compared with other Antidiabetic Drugs
VOLUME: 18 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Konstantinos P. Imprialos*, Konstantinos Stavropoulos, Nikiforos Stavropoulos, Dimitrios Patoulias, Konstantinos Petidis, Charalampos Grassos, Kyriakos Dimitriadis and Constantinos Tsioufis
Affiliation:Second Propaedeutic Department of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Second Propaedeutic Department of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Second Propaedeutic Department of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Second Propaedeutic Department of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Cardiology Department, KAT General Hospital, Athens, First Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, First Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Athens
Keywords:SGLT-2 inhibitors, body weight, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk, cardiovascular events, diabetes mellitus.
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.
