The Relationship between SGLT-2 Inhibitors and Weight Reduction among Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are modern antidiabetic agents that work by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose, reducing Blood Glucose (BG) levels, and causing glucose to leave the body through urine.

Objectives

Assessing the effectiveness of SGLT-2 inhibitor drugs for weight reduction in persons with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and identifying which treatment agents are associated with the most significant weight loss among individuals adhering to a standard, unrestricted diet.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study analyzed 136 patients who were treated with an SGLT-2 inhibitor for 12 months at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH) between August 2023 and October 2024. The population was divided into seven treatment groups. Three monotherapy groups (dapagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 10mg, or empagliflozin 25 mg) and four combined therapy groups that received these drugs with metformin. A treatment response was defined as a body weight loss of at least 5%. We used linear regression to find out the relationship between SGLT-2 inhibitors and weight reduction.

Results

58.8% of patients maintained stable weight (±2 kg). 25.7% of patients achieved clinically meaningful weight loss (> 2 kg), 5.1% of patients achieved ≥ 5% weight loss (clinical responders). Significant inverse connection between age and weight change (r = -0.21, p = 0.016). No significant weight changes were found overall (mean: -0.54 ± 3.92 kg, p = 0.110). No significant gender variances in weight change were observed (p = 0.646).

Conclusion

SGLT-2 inhibitors did not produce significant weight loss over 12 months when patients followed a regular diet without dietary restrictions.