Aims/introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are a new class of oral antidiabetic agents, and have been increasingly and widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, information of DPP-4 inhibitors in type 2 DM patients with severe renal impairment (RI) is limited. Our study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of DPP-4 inhibitors as compared to placebos or other hypoglycemic drugs in type 2 DM patients with severe RI.
Materials and methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the literature comparing the effects of DPP-4 inhibitors on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG). Randomized control trials (RCTs) including adults with type 2 DM and severe RI were analyzed. Safety was evaluated based on the percentage of patients who developed hypoglycemia and the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) as well as the incidence of peripheral edema, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, and death.
Results: Five RCTs including 503 patients were analyzed. Compared with a placebo or no treatment, DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a larger decline in HbA1c (mean difference (MD) = -0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.73 to -0.41; p < 0.01) but not with FBG (MD = -0.26, 95% CI: -1.40 to 0.8; p = 0.66). Compared with glipizide monotherapy, no significant differences in HbA1c (MD = 0.15, 95% CI: -0.19 to 0.49; p = 0.38) or FBG (MD = -0.26, 95% CI: -1.16 to 0.64; p = 0.57) were found. Similar odds of experiencing an AE were found in both the DPP-4 inhibitor groups and comparison groups.
Conclusions: In type 2 DM patients with severe RI, treatment with DPP-4 inhibitors is safe and it effectively lowers HbA1c.
Keywords: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors; meta-analysis; severe renal impairment.