Benefits and Complications of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to confer benefits in diabetic patients with heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and renal disease. This drug class has also been associated with major adverse events, including diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes patients and limb amputations and genital and urinary tract infections in type 2 diabetes patients. Although oral antidiabetic medications are often discontinued in the hospital setting, it is important to understand their role in certain comorbid conditions. The use of SGLT2 inhibitors in type 1 diabetes is still being debated, but their use in type 2 diabetes patients with cardiovascular disease, renal disease, or heart failure has been established in several large trials.