Publication:

An observational study on dapagliflozin as an add-on therapy in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background Diabetes mellitus is one of the prevalent morbid conditions all over the world and no exception for India. Day by day, increase in its prevalence is attributed to lifestyle derangements. To treat this condition many drugs and treatment modalities are developed. Dapagliflozin is an oral antidiabetic drug which acts by sodium-glucose cotransport-2 (SGLT-2) inhibition. Its effectiveness seen in type-2 diabetes mellitus makes it an option for Add-On therapy.

Methods This study is a retrospective observational study conducted at tertiary care hospital, GGH, Kurnool. The study proposal has been reviewed and approved by institutional ethics committee. All adult diabetic patients who were prescribed Dapagliflozin during the period of January 2021 to February 2022, total 45 were included in the study. FBG, HbA1c collected through hospital records from General Medicine and Endocrinology. Patients who stopped drug before 3 months period were excluded.

Results Administration of dapagliflozin as an add-on therapy was found 26.63% decrease in base line mean FBG 184 mg/dl to 135 mg/dl after 3mnoths which is significant (p=0.001). Mean HbA1c significantly reduced by 0.96 percentage point after 3 months (p=0.001). Dapagliflozin effectively reduced the FBG and HbA1c when used in combination with other OHAs or insulin within 3 months.

Conclusions Dapagliflozin as an add-on therapy significantly reduced the HbA1c level and fasting blood glucose of Type-2DM patients, in a 3-month treatment period. Due to the frequency of Genitourinary tract infections, caution is indicated while treating the patients.