The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor canagliflozin does not increase risk of non-genital skin and soft tissue infections in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A pooled post hoc analysis from the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE randomized double-blind trials

Aims: To assess whether the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin affects risk of non-genital skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Materials and methods: We performed a post hoc pooled individual participant analysis of the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trials that randomized people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk and/or with chronic kidney disease to either canagliflozin or placebo. Investigator-reported adverse events were assessed by two blinded authors following predetermined criteria for non-genital SSTIs. Risks of non-genital SSTIs, overall and within prespecified subgroups, and risk of non-genital fungal SSTIs, were analysed using Cox regression models. Factors associated with non-genital SSTIs were assessed using multivariable Cox regression models. Results: Overall, 903 of 14 531 participants (6%) experienced non-genital SSTIs over a median follow-up of 26 months. No difference was observed in non-genital SSTI rates between canagliflozin and placebo (24.0 events/1000 person-years vs. 23.9 events/1000 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio [HR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-1.11; P = 0.70), with consistent results across subgroups (all P interaction > 0.05). The risk of recurrent events and non-genital fungal infection also did not differ significantly between canagliflozin and placebo (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.94-1.19 [P = 0.32] and HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88-1.60 [P = 0.27], respectively). Baseline factors independently associated with non-genital SSTIs were younger age, male sex, higher body mass index, higher glycated haemoglobin, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), established peripheral vascular disease, and history of neuropathy. Conclusions: Canagliflozin did not affect risk of non-genital SSTIs or non-genital fungal SSTIs compared with placebo. These findings suggest that any SGLT2 inhibitormediated change in skin microenvironment is unlikely to have meaningful clinical consequences.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of non-genital skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) associated with the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin. A post hoc analysis of two trials was conducted, and the results showed that canagliflozin did not significantly affect the risk of non-genital SSTIs or non-genital fungal SSTIs compared with placebo. This suggests that the changes in skin microenvironment mediated by SGLT2 inhibitors may not have meaningful clinical consequences.