Empagliflozin Not Tied to Risk for New Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 -- Empagliflozin initiation is not associated with incident nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) compared with initiation of a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor (DPP4i), according to a study published online Dec. 5 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Helen Tesfaye, Pharm.D., from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues compared the risk for incident NPDR and DR progression in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating empagliflozin versus a DPP4i. The analysis included 34,239 pairs of propensity score-matched adults in the incident NPDR cohort and 7,831 pairs in the DR progression cohort.
The researchers found that during a mean follow-up period of eight months receiving treatment, the risk for incident NPDR did not differ across groups (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.94 to 1.15; rate difference [RD], 1.30; 95 percent CI, −1.83 to 4.44). The risk for DR progression was lower among individuals who initiated empagliflozin versus those who began DPP4i therapy (HR, 0.78; 95 percent CI, 0.63 to 0.96; RD, −9.44; 95 percent CI, −16.90 to −1.98). Across multiple subgroups and sensitivity analyses, results were similar.
"Although residual confounding cannot be entirely ruled out due to the observational nature of our study, these findings may be helpful when weighing the risks and benefits of various glucose-lowering agents in adults with T2D," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, which manufacture empagliflozin; Boehringer Ingelheim funded the study.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Many Medicaid Enrollees Have Restricted Access to SGLT2 Inhibitors, GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Many Medicaid enrollees with type 2 diabetes have restricted access to cardioprotective medications, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2...
Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Increase Risk for Falls in Patients With Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor use is an independent risk factor for falls in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study...
GLP-1 RAs, SGLT2 Inhibitors May Reduce Risk for Alzheimer Disease, Dementia in T2DM
THURSDAY, April 17, 2025 -- Both glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are associated with a reduced risk...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.