
Diabetes drugs linked to higher risk for rare but deadly complication
A new class of type 2 diabetes drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors could increase the risk of a rare, life-threatening complication of the disease called ketoacidosis, a new study warns.
SGLT2 inhibitors include prescription medications such as canagliflozin, dapagliflozin and empagliflozin. Brand names are Invokana, Invokamet, Farxiga, Xigduo XR, Jardiance and Glyxambi.
These drugs first became available in 2013, but in 2015 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about an increased risk for diabetic ketoacidosis when SGLT2 inhibitors are used.
The condition typically occurs in people with type 1 diabetes. And while it is uncommon in people with type 2 diabetes, case reports have shown it can occur with type 2 disease, according to the study authors.
Ketoacidosis can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, shortness of breath and swelling in the brain. Left untreated, the condition can be fatal, the researchers said.
The new study "essentially confirms what doctors had already suspected," said diabetes expert Dr. Stanislaw Klek, an endocrinologist at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
"Fortunately, the rate of diabetic ketoacidosis is still very low and should not prevent the usage of this medication class," he added. "It is important to be aware of this potential complication and monitor for symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis, particularly during periods of illness."
In the new study, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston analyzed data from 40,000 people with type 2 diabetes. They found that those taking SGLT2 inhibitors were twice as likely to develop
Continue
reading