Glycemic Variability Impacted by SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP 1 Agonists in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

To investigate the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists on glycemic variability (GV), the mean amplitude of glucose excursion (MAGE), mean blood glucose (MBG) levels, and percentage of time maintaining euglycemia were evaluated. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists for treating people with diabetes were selected through searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and other databases. Sixteen studies were finally analyzed. There were no differences in the reductions in MAGE after treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 agonists (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.59, 95% CI = -0.82 to -0.36 vs. SMD = -0.43, 95% CI = -0.51 to -0.35, respectively), and treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors was associated with an increased reduction in MBG levels (SMD = -0.56, 95% CI = -0.65 to -0.48, p < 0.00001). Monotherapy and add-on therapy with medications were correlated with MAGE and MBG level reductions. In conclusion, SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists were associated with a reduction in GV and could be alternatives for treating people with diabetes.

Automated summary

Research has shown that SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists can reduce glycemic variability and may be alternative treatments for diabetes patients, contributing to reductions in MAGE and MBG levels.