Diabetic retinopathy (DR) affects about 26 per cent of people with diabetes. While many patients have an early form of DR, the condition can progress, posing the threat of irreversible vision loss. Empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose contratransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2), an oral medication that helps patients with type 2 diabetes control their glucose levels. A research team led by investigators from Mass General Brigham conducted a cohort study comparing treatment with empagliflozin to another form of diabetes treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes. They found that while empagliflozin did not reduce the risk of DR in patients with no history of that disease, among patients who had early-stage DR, the medication was associated with a decreased risk of progression.
“Our findings showed that in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, empagliflozin could be beneficial in slowing down progression to more advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy,” said lead author Helen Tesfaye, PharmD, MSc, of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Our findings could help inform clinical decision-making for patients with diabetes who have non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy or are at risk for developing DR.”
The study represents a collaboration between Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), both founding members of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, with experts from BWH’s Division of Renal (Kidney) Medicine and MGH’s Diabetes Center working with Tesfaye and colleagues from the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology.
“Leveraging the clinical and analytical expertise of our multidisciplinary team allows us to identify risks and benefits of diabetes medications that are not being studied—or may not be apparent—in clinical trials,” said Deborah Wexler.