Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors as an add-on therapy to insulin for type 1 diabetes mellitus: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIMS: The aim was to systematically review the efficacy and safety of sodium–glucose cotransporter inhibitor (SGLT2i) as an adjunct to insulin at different follow-up durations in randomized, double-blind clinical trials in patients with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a search on Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for relevant studies published before May 2020. According to the duration of follow-up, the subgroup analysis included four periods: 1–4, 12–18, 24–26, and 52 weeks. In the five trials included both 24–26 and 52 weeks of follow-up, we compared the efficacy by the placebo-subtracted difference and changes in SGLT2i groups. RESULTS: Fifteen trials including 7109 participants were analyzed. The combination of SGLT2i and insulin improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), daily insulin dose, body weight, and blood pressure, which varied greatly by different follow-ups. Compared with %HbA1c at 24–26 weeks, placebo-subtracted differences and changes in the SGLT2i groups slightly increased. SGLT2i plus insulin treatment showed no difference in the occurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs), hypoglycemia, or severe hypoglycemia but increased the risk of genital tract infections (GTIs) in a duration-dependent manner. SGLT2i treatment was associated with a significantly higher rate of ketone-related SAEs and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at 52 weeks. CONCLUSION: SGLT2i as an add-on therapy to insulin improved glycemic control and body weight and decreased the required dose of insulin without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. However, after 6 months the benefits of SGLT2is on glycemic control may weaken and the risks of GTIs and DKA increased. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1007/s00592-021-01686-x).