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World J Transplant. Sep 18, 2023; 13(5): 239-249
Published online Sep 18, 2023. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v13.i5.239
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor use in kidney transplant recipients
Pavithra Ramakrishnan, Neetika Garg, Samantha Pabich, Didier A Mandelbrot, Kurtis J Swanson
Pavithra Ramakrishnan, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
Neetika Garg, Samantha Pabich, Didier A Mandelbrot, Kurtis J Swanson, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, United States
Author contributions: Ramakrishnan P wrote and drafted the article, performed critical revision of the article and approved the article; Garg N, Pabich S and Mandelbrot DA provided critical revisions and approval of the article; Swanson KJ provided concept/design, article drafting, critical revision and approval of the article; All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kurtis J Swanson, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Ave Madison, Madison, WI 53705, United States. kswanson@medicine.wisc.edu
Received: February 10, 2023
Peer-review started: February 10, 2023
First decision: March 15, 2023
Revised: April 19, 2023
Accepted: June 14, 2023
Article in press: June 14, 2023
Published online: September 18, 2023
Abstract

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are novel oral hypoglycemic agents garnering much attention for their substantial benefits. These recent data have positioned SGLT2i at the forefront of diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure management. SGLT2i use post-kidney transplant is an emerging area of research. Highlights from this mini review include the following: Empagliflozin is the most prescribed SGLT2i in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), median time from transplant to initiation was 3 years (range: 0.88-9.6 years). Median baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 66.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 (range: 50.4-75.8). Median glycohemoglobin (HgbA1c) at initiation was 7.7% (range: 6.9-9.3). SGLT2i were demonstrated to be effective short-term impacting HgbA1c, eGFR, hemoglobin/hematocrit, serum uric acid, and serum magnesium levels. They are shown to be safe in KTRs with low rates of infections, hypoglycemia, euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, and stable tacrolimus levels. More data is needed to demonstrate long-term outcomes. SGLT2i appear to be safe, effective medications for select KTRs. Our present literature, though limited, is founded on precedent robust research in CKD patients with diabetes. Concurrent research/utilization of SGLT2i is vital to not only identify long-term patient, graft and cardiovascular outcomes of these agents, but also to augment management in KTRs.

Keywords: Sodium glucose cotransporter-2, Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, Kidney transplantation, Diabetes, Post-transplant diabetes mellitus, New onset diabetes after transplant

Core Tip: Multiple large trials have demonstrated sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) associated kidney and cardiovascular benefits for chronic kidney disease patients with diabetes. Important considerations are critical to determine safety and efficacy of these medications after kidney transplantation. While evidence is limited, SGLT2i appear to be both safe and effective short-term. More robust research is needed to determine the long-term impacts of their use in kidney transplant recipients. Appropriate patient selection and monitoring are vital to clinical use and future research efforts of SGLT2i in kidney transplantation.