Do you know that diabetes is a disease where there’s too much sugar in your blood?
Yes, that’s right! People with type 2 diabetes often take medicine to help their bodies control this sugar level. There are many types of medicines available, and they keep coming up with new ones.
There’s an old type of diabetes drug called DPP4 inhibitors (DPP4i). More recently, scientists have come up with a new type of medicine, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i).
Both of these medicines help to lower blood sugar, but they work in slightly different ways.
SGLT2i vs DPP4i: Which is Better?
The interesting question is, “Which one is better?” Researchers at the University of Hong Kong decided to investigate this.
They looked at a group of more than 30,000 people with type 2 diabetes. Some of these people were taking the old drug (DPP4i), and some were taking the new drug (SGLT2i).
A Look into the Research
Kidney Protection
The researchers wanted to find out if the new drug, SGLT2i, could help protect the kidneys. Kidneys are like your body’s cleaning system.
They filter out waste from your blood. But sometimes, diabetes can damage your kidneys, causing them not to work properly.
So, they checked four things related to the kidneys: end-stage renal disease (ESRD), albuminuria, acute renal failure (ARF), and the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
ESRD is a severe kidney disease that may need a kidney transplant. Albuminuria and ARF are signs of kidney damage. eGFR is a test that shows how well your kidneys are working.
Protecting Your Breathing
The researchers also wanted to see if SGLT2i could protect the lungs. Why lungs, you ask? Well, there’s some evidence that this new drug might help control inflammation or swelling in the lungs.
This can help protect against diseases like obstructive airway disease (OAD) and pneumonia.
OAD is a disease that makes it hard for you to breathe, and pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in your lungs.
The Results Are In!
After studying all these patients, what did the researchers find?
They found that compared to the old drug, DPP4i, the new drug, SGLT2i, significantly reduced the risk of serious kidney diseases and helped to keep the kidneys working well.
Surprisingly, they also found that the new drug was linked with a reduced risk of breathing problems, like OAD and pneumonia. That’s exciting news!
An Expert’s View
Dr. Cheung Ching-lung, one of the researchers from the University of Hong Kong, was very careful with his words.
He said that because this was an observational study, it could not prove that the new drug caused these positive effects. But, he suggested that more studies should be done to confirm their findings.
In simple words, while the new drug SGLT2i might be a better choice than the older one, DPP4i, more research is needed to be sure.
Until then, isn’t it great to know that scientists are working hard to find better treatments for diabetes and other diseases?
It’s always good to remember that while medicine can help control diabetes, the best way to stay healthy is to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and follow your doctor’s advice!
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about stomach drugs that may help control blood sugar in diabetes, and this diet could boost health in people with diabetes.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about nutrients that may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing warnings about promising diabetes drug metformin.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
