SGLT2-inhibitors – New Approach in the Treatment of Diabetes

Clinic of Endocrinology, “Alexandrovska” University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia

 

 

Abstract:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and especially type 2(DM2) became an epidemic, requiring the mobilization of tremendous scientific resource in search of optimal therapeutic approaches aimed at diminishing the personal and social burden of the disease. Being a pathological process in all organs and tissues, DM has a complex pathogenesis, which necessitates (1) searching of new therapeutic principles, focused on the different aspects of the diverse structure of the disease and (2) implementation of combinations of drugs with different profile to cover the broad pathogenetic spectrum of the disease. The sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors represent the newest therapeutic class of drugs approved for the treatment of DM2. They block the glucose reabsorption in the proximal kidney tubulе resulting in loss of increased amount of glucose in the urine and decrease of its blood concentration. This mechanism of action differs from all principles we already have for the treatment of diabetes, giving some important advantages to the new medication group: insulinindependent and reliable glucose lowering effect, tolerance to practically all drugs used today, less systemic side effects, low risk for hypoglycemia and weight gain, etc. From the currently known adverse effects, the increase of the genital infections mostly in female patients should be mentioned. All cited features of the SGLT2 inhibitors promote them as a promising new class of drugs for the treatment of diabetes.

 

Keywords: diabetes mellitus, kidney, SGLT2-inhibitors