Sotagliflozin, a dual sodium-glucose co-transporter-1 and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, reduces the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease, as assessed by the Steno T1 Risk Engine in adults with type 1 diabetes

Use of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter Inhibitors in Type 1 Diabetes: The Promise and the Perils

OBJECTIVE

Despite improvements in glucose monitoring technologies, insulin formulations and insulin delivery systems, too many patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) continue to struggle to meet their glycemic goals. As a result, they suffer from high rates of microvascular and macrovascular disease. Titration of insulin therapy, while essential to the care of these patients, is often limited by undesirable side effects of hypoglycemia and weight gain. Sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) inhibitors have been proposed as a potential adjunctive therapy to insulin that may offset some of these effects, while simultaneously enabling patients with T1D to potentially reap the cardiovascular and renal benefits afforded by these agents in those with type 2 diabetes. This review summarizes and contextualizes the clinical trial data that has emerged with these agents in this specific population.

METHODS

A clinical review based on current literature was generated by the authors.

RESULTS

This review summarizes the data from several clinical trial programs investigating the use of SGLT inhibitors in T1D, describing the potential benefits and the ketosis-related adverse events of these agents (including euglycemic DKA), along with a discussion of possible mitigation strategies to reduce this risk.

CONCLUSION

Although theoretically SGLT inhibitors have the potential to improve metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal outcomes in patients with T1D, the risks of diabetic ketoacidosis currently represent an important limitation to the widespread use of these agents. If treatment is undertaken, caution must be taken, with implementation of effective mitigation strategies being essential.

The emergence of obesity in type 1 diabetes

Obesity, a chronic low-grade inflammatory disease represented by multifactorial metabolic dysfunctions, is a significant global health threat for adults and children. The once-held belief that type 1 diabetes is a disease of people who are lean no longer holds. The mounting epidemiological data now establishes the connection between type 1 diabetes and the subsequent development of obesity, or vice versa. Beyond the consequences of the influx of an obesogenic environment, type 1 diabetes-specific biopsychosocial burden further exacerbates obesity. In the course of obesity management discussions, recurring challenges surfaced. The interplay between weight gain and escalating insulin dependence creates a vicious cycle from which patients struggle to break free. In the absence of weight management guidelines and regulatory approval for this population, healthcare professionals must navigate the delicate balance between benefits and risks. The gravity of this circumstance highlights the importance of bringing these topics to the forefront. In this Review, we discuss the changing trends and the biopsychosocial aspects of the intersection between type 1 diabetes and obesity. We highlight the evidence supporting the therapeutic means (i.e., exercise therapy, nutritional therapy, adjunct pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery) and directions for establishing a more robust and safer evidence-based approach.

Chronic kidney disease in type 1 diabetes: translation of novel type 2 diabetes therapeutics to individuals with type 1 diabetes

Current management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in type 1 diabetes centres on glycaemic control, renin-angiotensin system inhibition and optimisation of risk factors including blood pressure, lipids and body weight. While these therapeutic approaches have significantly improved outcomes among people with type 1 diabetes and CKD, this population remains at substantial elevated risk for adverse kidney and cardiovascular events, with limited improvements over the last few decades. The significant burden of CKD and CVD in type 1 diabetes populations highlights the need to identify novel therapies with the potential for heart and kidney protection. Over the last decade, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have emerged as potent kidney-protective and/or cardioprotective agents in type 2 diabetes. The consistent, substantial kidney and cardiovascular benefits of these agents has led to their incorporation into professional guidelines as foundational care for type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, introduction of these agents into clinical practice has been accompanied by a shift in the focus of diabetes care from a 'glucose-centric' to a 'cardiorenal risk-centric' approach. In this review, we evaluate the potential translation of novel type 2 diabetes therapeutics to individuals with type 1 diabetes with the lens of preventing the development and progression of CKD.

Real-world safety and effectiveness of dapagliflozin in people living with type 1 diabetes in Spain: The Dapa-ON multicenter retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To assess real-world safety and effectiveness of dapagliflozin in people living with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

METHODS

We conducted a multicenter retrospective study in Spain including data from 250 people living with T1DM receiving dapagliflozin as add-on therapy to insulin (80.8 % on-label use). The number of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) events was calculated over a 12-month follow-up (primary outcome). Changes in body weight, HbA1c, total daily insulin dose, and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics from baseline (at dapagliflozin prescription) to 12 months were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of five DKA events (2.4 % [95 % CI 0.3;4.5] were reported in patients with a 12-month follow-up, n = 207): two events related to insulin pump malfunction, two events related to concomitant illnesses, and one event related to insulin dose omission. DKA events were more frequent among insulin pump users than among participants on multiple daily injections (7.7 % versus 1.2 %). Four of the reported DKA events occurred within the first six months after initiation of dapagliflozin. No deaths or persistent sequelae due to DKA were reported. No severe hypoglycemia episodes were reported. Significant reductions in mean body weight (-3.3 kg), HbA1c (-0.6 %), and total daily insulin dose (-8.6 %), P < 0.001, were observed 12 months after dapagliflozin prescription. Significant improvements in TIR (+9.3 %), TAR (-7.2 %), TBR (-2.5 %), and coefficient of variation (-5.1 %), P < 0.001, were also observed in the subgroup of patients with available CGM data. Finally, an improvement in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) was found among participants with UACR ≥ 30 mg/g at baseline (median decrease of 99 mg/g in UACR, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The use of dapagliflozin in people living with T1DM has an appropriate safety profile after careful selection of participants and implementation of strategies to reduce the risk of DKA (i.e., prescribed according to the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency), and also leads to clinical improvements in this population.