SGLT-2 Inhibitors: Is There a Role in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Management?

The purpose of this review is to identify and evaluate disease management of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who were treated with a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor as an adjunct to insulin therapy.

A PubMed (1969 to March 2017) and Ovid (1946 to March 2017) search was performed for articles published utilizing the following MESH terms: canagliflozin, empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, type 1 diabetes mellitus, insulin dependent diabetes, insulin, sodium-glucose transporter 2. There were no limitations placed on publication type.

All English-language articles were evaluated for association of SGLT-2 inhibitors and type 1 diabetes. Further studies were identified by review of pertinent manuscript bibliographies.

All 3 SGLT-2 inhibitors, when combined with insulin, resulted in an overall reduction of hemoglobin A1C (up to 0.49%), lower total daily insulin doses, and a reduction in weight (up to 2.7 kg). The combination therapy of insulin and SGLT-2 inhibitors also resulted in a lower incidence of hypoglycemia. Study duration varied from 2 to 18 weeks.

A review of the identified literature indicated that there is a potential role for the combination of SGLT-2 inhibitors with insulin in T1DM for improving glycemic control without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. The short duration and small sample sizes limit the ability to fully evaluate the incidences of diabetic ketoacidosis and urogenital infections. The risks associated with this combination of medications require further evaluation.