Skip to main content

Preoperative SGLT2 Inhibitor Users Have Increased Risk for Postoperative Euglycemic Ketoacidosis

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 13, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 -- Patients using sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) preoperatively have a slightly increased risk for postoperative euglycemic ketoacidosis (eKA) but a lower risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality, according to a study published online April 30 in JAMA Surgery.

Roberta Teixeira Tallarico, M.D., from the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues examined the risk for postoperative eKA, AKI, and mortality within 30 days after surgery among preoperative long-term SGLT2i users versus nonusers in a multicenter, propensity-matched retrospective case-control study. Adults using SGLT2i preoperatively who underwent inpatient surgical procedures were compared to a propensity score-matched control group in a 1:5 ratio (7,439 users and 33,489 nonusers).

The researchers found that SGLT2i use was associated with an increased risk for eKA (odds ratio, 1.11), but with reduced risks for perioperative AKI and 30-day mortality (odds ratios, 0.69 and 0.70, respectively). Thirty days after surgery, the mortality rate was 1.1 and 1.6 percent among SGLT2i users and nonusers, respectively. The median hospital length of stay increased by three days for those presenting with eKA (median: six versus three days for those with and without eKA).

"The consequences of developing perioperative eKA are not fully understood; however, perioperative eKA may necessitate escalated interventions (i.e., insulin administration or continuous dextrose infusion), which could be associated with an increased risk of prolonged hospitalization or unplanned admission to an intensive care unit," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and health care industries.

Abstract/Full Text

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.

Read this next

Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy Beneficial in BRCA1/2 Carriers With Personal History of Breast Cancer

TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 -- For carriers of pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 with a personal history of breast cancer, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) is beneficial...

Weight Gain, Late First Pregnancy Combo Increases Breast Cancer Risk

MONDAY, May 12, 2025 -- Weight gain combined with late first pregnancy (FP) or nulliparity is associated with an increased risk for breast cancer (BC), according to a study...

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Reduce Alcohol Intake in Patients Treated for Obesity

MONDAY, May 12, 2025 -- Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are tied to a reduction in alcohol intake, according to a research letter recently published in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.