Treatment Response to SGLT2 Inhibitors: From Clinical Characteristics to Genetic Variations

SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) inhibitors are a new class of antihyperglycaemic drugs that act on the proximal tubules of the kidney. They have shown efficacy in the management of diabetes mellitus type 2 and their cardiovascular and renal safety have been extensively investigated and confirmed in clinical trials. However, inter-individual differences in response to treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors may present in everyday clinical practice, and good predictors of glycemic response and the risk for adverse events in an individual patient are lacking. As genetic variability of SGLT2 may influence the treatment response, pharmacogenetic information could support the choice of the most beneficial treatment strategy in an individual patient. This review focuses on the clinical and genetic factors that may influence the treatment response to SGLT2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes patients with comorbid conditions.