Short-Term Laboratory Outcomes of SGLT2 Inhibitor Use in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

Background: This retrospective study evaluated the short-term effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor Dapagliflozin on laboratory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) over six months. Methods: Data were obtained from electronic health records at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study focused on adult T2DM patients who began Dapagliflozin treatment in 2023 or 2024 and underwent laboratory tests before, and six months after, starting treatment, resulting in 783 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Results: Analysis revealed significant reductions in glycemic markers (p-value < 0.01). Hematological responses revealed divergent trends by sex: females showed increases in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width (RDW) (p-value < 0.01), while males showed a marginal decrease in mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) (p-value < 0.05). Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) significantly decreased for both sexes (p-value < 0.01). Renal assessments indicated a significant increase in sodium levels and a marginal decrease in eGFR in males (p-values < 0.001 and <0.05, respectively), and elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in both sexes (p-value < 0.01). Hepatic markers showed a marginal increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in both sexes, with a trend toward a reduction in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in males (p-value < 0.05). No significant changes were noted in lipid profiles or other hepatic markers. Conclusions: Dapagliflozin treatment in T2DM patients results in significant improvements in glycemic control and alterations in certain laboratory markers, indicating its potential impact on metabolic outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and long-term effects.