Lower risk for foot disease driven by lower risk for neuropathy for new users of SGLT-2 inhibitors versus GLP-1 receptor agonists<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Jan. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), new users of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is) have a modestly lower risk for foot disease compared with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) users, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in the Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Frederik P.B. Kristensen, M.D., Ph.D., from Aarhus University in Denmark, and colleagues compared the risks for foot disease in new users of SGLT-2is and GLP-1 RAs in a cohort study using target trial emulation. Using national health care registry data, adults with T2DM initiating SGLT-2i or GLP-1 RA treatment were identified from 2013 to 2023. The registry cohort included 53,769 and 30,380 new users of SGLT-2is and GLP-1 RAs, respectively.<\/p>\n The researchers found that any foot disease occurred in 10.8 and 12.0 percent of SGLT-2i and GLP-1 RA users, respectively, during six years of follow-up, corresponding to a risk ratio of 0.90 in an intention-to-treat analysis. Differences were not apparent until after year 3, when 40 and 32 percent of SGLT-2i and GLP-1 RA users, respectively, had discontinued initial treatment. Lower risk for neuropathy drove the modest reduction in risk among SGLT-2i users (risk ratio, 0.78). Similar risks for peripheral artery disease, foot ulcers, amputations, and all-cause mortality were seen for users of SGLT-2is and GLP-1 RAs.<\/p>\n “The absolute differences were small, and whether this difference reflects a causal effect of the initial medication used is uncertain,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n