No disparity of the efficacy and all‐cause mortality between Asian and non‐Asian type 2 diabetes patients with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors treatment: A meta‐analysis

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To evaluate whether there is disparity of the efficacy and all‐cause mortality and other adverse effects between Asian and non‐Asian patients with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized clinical trials publicly available before January 2017, comparing SGLT2 inhibitors treatment with a placebo in type 2 diabetes patients were identified. The association between treatment and outcomes was estimated by computing the weighted mean difference for glycated hemoglobin level, blood pressure level, lipid profile levels and bodyweight, and the odds ratios for adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 17 trials with Asian patients were included and 39 trials with non‐Asian patients were included. Comparison of the glycated hemoglobin decreases corrected by a placebo between Asian and non‐Asian patients showed that there was a non‐significant difference of 0.05% between groups (P > 0.05). Comparisons of the bodyweight changes and blood pressure changes corrected by a placebo between Asian and non‐Asian patients did not show a significant difference between groups (P > 0.05). The risk of all‐cause mortality was not increased when compared with a placebo both in Asian and non‐Asian populations, and the risk of genital infection in Asian and non‐Asian populations were both significant increased. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, according to the present meta‐analysis, comparison of the efficacy in SGLT2 inhibitors treatment between Asian and non‐Asian type 2 diabetes patients showed no significant difference in glycated hemoglobin reduction and bodyweight reduction. Furthermore, no disparity was found in the risk of all‐cause mortality or hypoglycemia in SGLT2 inhibitors treatment between Asian and non‐Asian patients.