Premium
Sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors and susceptibility to COVID ‐19: A population‐based retrospective cohort study
Author(s) -
Sainsbury Christopher,
Wang Jingya,
Gokhale Krishna,
AcostaMena Dionisio,
Dhalla Samir,
Byne Nathan,
Chandan Joht Singh,
Anand Astha,
Cooper Jennifer,
Okoth Kelvin,
Subramanian Anuradhaa,
Bangash Mansoor N.,
Taverner Thomas,
Hanif Wasim,
Ghosh Sandip,
Narendran Parth,
Cheng Kar K.,
Marshall Tom,
Gkoutos Georgios,
Toulis Konstantinos,
Thomas Neil,
Tahrani Abd,
Adderley Nicola J.,
Haroon Shamil,
Nirantharakumar Krishnarajah
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
diabetes, obesity and metabolism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.445
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1463-1326
pISSN - 1462-8902
DOI - 10.1111/dom.14203
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , propensity score matching , type 2 diabetes , confidence interval , population , cohort , confounding , rate ratio , retrospective cohort study , diabetes mellitus , pharmacology , endocrinology , environmental health
Sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are widely prescribed in people with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to investigate whether SGLT2 inhibitor prescription is associated with COVID‐19, when compared with an active comparator. We performed a propensity‐score‐matched cohort study with active comparators and a negative control outcome in a large UK‐based primary care dataset. Participants prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors (n = 9948) and a comparator group prescribed dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors (n = 14 917) were followed up from January 30 to July 27, 2020. The primary outcome was confirmed or clinically suspected COVID‐19. The incidence rate of COVID‐19 was 19.7/1000 person‐years among users of SGLT2 inhibitors and 24.7/1000 person‐years among propensity‐score‐matched users of DPP‐4 inhibitors. The adjusted hazard ratio was 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.66 to 1.29), and there was no evidence of residual confounding in the negative control analysis. We did not observe an increased risk of COVID‐19 in primary care amongst those prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors compared to DPP‐4 inhibitors, suggesting that clinicians may safely use these agents in the everyday care of people with type 2 diabetes during the COVID‐19 pandemic.