Exploring heart and kidney health benefits of anti-diabetic treatment canagliflozin in older adults, focusing on improved outcomes and safety insights.

Diabetes drug canagliflozin benefits patients of all ages. While SGLT2 inhibitors are known to reduce the risk of heart and kidney problems in people with type 2 diabetes, this study confirms their effectiveness regardless of age. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024.

The analysis pooled individual participant data from the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trial and assessed efficacy and safety according to baseline age. Among the 14,543 participants, 7,927 (54.5%) were <65 years, 5,281 (36.3%) were 65 to <75 years, and 1,335 (9.2%) were ≥75 years.

Although the overall incidence of adverse events increased with age, the effects of canagliflozin on safety outcomes including acute kidney injury, volume depletion, urinary tract infections and hypoglycemia, were not modified by age.

“The prevalence of diabetes among older adults aged ≥65 years in the United States is estimated at 29.2%, a prevalence rate more than double that for the overall adult population aged ≥18 years, and older individuals with diabetes have higher absolute risks of cardiovascular events and kidney complications. Despite this, real-world uptake of SGLT2 inhibitors in older age groups is among the lowest of all patient groups,” said corresponding author Amanda Siriwardana, MBBS (Hon), GCert Public Health, FRACP, of The George Institute for Global Health in Australia. “The data presented in this analysis suggests clear extension of the cardiorenal benefits of SGLT2 therapy to older individuals and should engender confidence amongst clinicians and patients regarding the safety of canagliflozin in older adults.”

Source-Eurekalert