Effectiveness and safety of the combination of sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract

Background: Randomized controlled trials and real-world studies suggest that combination therapy with sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) is associated with improvement in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI), and total cholesterol levels. However, a systematic review of available real-world evidence may facilitate clinical decision-making in the real-world scenario. This meta-analysis assessed the safety and effectiveness of combinations of SGLT2is + GLP-1RAs with a focus on their cardioprotective effects along with glucose-lowering ability in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a real-world setting.

Methods: Electronic searches were performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, PROQuest, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases. Qualitative analyses and meta-analyses were performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute SUMARI software package and Review Manager v5.4, respectively.

Results: The initial database search yielded 1445 articles; of these, 13 were included in this study. The analyses indicated that SGLT2is + GLP-1RAs combinations were associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality when compared with individual therapies (odds ratio [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49 [0.41, 0.60]; p < 0.00001). Significant reductions in BMI (- 1.71 [- 2.74, - 0.67]; p = 0.001), SBP (- 6.35 [- 10.17, - 2.53]; p = 0.001), HbA1c levels (- 1.48 [- 1.75, - 1.21]; p < 0.00001), and FPG (- 2.27 [- 2.78, - 1.76]; p < 0.00001) were associated with the simultaneous administration of the combination. Changes in total cholesterol levels and differences between simultaneous and sequential combination therapies for this outcome were not significant.

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis based on real-world data suggests that the combination of SGLT2is + GLP-1RAs is associated with lower all-cause mortality and favorable improvements in cardiovascular, renal, and glycemic measurements. The findings drive a call-to-action to incorporate this combination early and simultaneously in managing T2DM patients and achieve potential cardiovascular benefits and renal protection.

Keywords: Cardiovascular; Diabetes mellitus; Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist; Meta-analysis; Observational studies; Sodium–glucose transport protein 2 inhibitor.