Empagliflozin may lower risk for diabetic retinopathy progression<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) — 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<\/em>.<\/p>\n Helen Tesfaye, Pharm.D., from Brigham and Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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, \u22121.83 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, \u22129.44; 95 percent CI, \u221216.90 to \u22121.98). Across multiple subgroups and sensitivity analyses, results were similar.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, which manufacture empagliflozin; Boehringer Ingelheim funded the study.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n