Safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A post hoc analysis of data from the SACRA study

Elderly diabetic patients are likely to have uncontrolled nocturnal hypertension, which confers higher risks of cardiovascular events and heart failure. To investigate the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), a sub‐analysis was performed of data from the SGLT2 inhibitor and Angiotensin receptor blocker Combination theRapy in pAtients with diabetes and uncontrolled nocturnal hypertension (SACRA) study, a multi‐center, double‐blind, randomized, parallel study of T2DM patients who were treated with empagliflozin for 12 weeks. In the present analysis, we compared efficacy and safety outcomes in participants aged <75 and ≥75 years. At baseline, 44 participants were ≥75 years and 87 were <75 years. Nighttime ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased by 4.2 mm Hg in the ≥75‐year‐old group and by 7.9 mm Hg in the <75‐year‐old group (p = .884 for the between‐age group difference in the change between baseline and week 12) [primary endpoint]. Empagliflozin, but not placebo, significantly reduced mean 24‐h SBP (−8.7 mm Hg in ≥75‐year‐olds vs. −11.0 mm Hg in <75‐year‐olds) and daytime SBP (−10.8 mm Hg in ≥ 75‐year‐olds vs. −12.3 mm Hg in <75‐year‐olds) between baseline and week 12, with no significant differences between the groups. In addition, there were significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin, body weight, and uric acid during 12 weeks of empagliflozin treatment in the two age groups. The incidences of hypoglycemic episodes, hypotension, and metabolic adverse events were similar in the two groups. Thus, empagliflozin was effective and well tolerated in elderly diabetic patients with uncontrolled nocturnal hypertension when administered for 12 weeks.