The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor canagliflozin does not increase risk of non-genital skin and soft tissue infections in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A pooled post hoc analysis from the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE randomized double-blind trials

  • Amy Kang*
  • , Brendan Smyth
  • , Brendon L. Neuen
  • , Hiddo J.L. Heerspink
  • , Gian Luca Di Tanna
  • , Hong Zhang
  • , Clare Arnott
  • , Carinna Hockham
  • , Rajiv Agarwal
  • , George Bakris
  • , David M. Charytan
  • , Dick de Zeeuw
  • , Tom Greene
  • , Adeera Levin
  • , Carol Pollock
  • , David C. Wheeler
  • , Kenneth W. Mahaffey
  • , Vlado Perkovic
  • , Meg J. Jardine
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Aims: To assess whether the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin affects risk of non-genital skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). 

Materials and methods: We performed a post hoc pooled individual participant analysis of the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trials that randomized people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk and/or with chronic kidney disease to either canagliflozin or placebo. Investigator-reported adverse events were assessed by two blinded authors following predetermined criteria for non-genital SSTIs. Risks of non-genital SSTIs, overall and within prespecified subgroups, and risk of non-genital fungal SSTIs, were analysed using Cox regression models. Factors associated with non-genital SSTIs were assessed using multivariable Cox regression models. 

Results: Overall, 903 of 14 531 participants (6%) experienced non-genital SSTIs over a median follow-up of 26 months. No difference was observed in non-genital SSTI rates between canagliflozin and placebo (24.0 events/1000 person-years vs. 23.9 events/1000 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio [HR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-1.11; P = 0.70), with consistent results across subgroups (all P interaction > 0.05). The risk of recurrent events and non-genital fungal infection also did not differ significantly between canagliflozin and placebo (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.94-1.19 [P = 0.32] and HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88-1.60 [P = 0.27], respectively). Baseline factors independently associated with non-genital SSTIs were younger age, male sex, higher body mass index, higher glycated haemoglobin, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), established peripheral vascular disease, and history of neuropathy. 

Conclusions: Canagliflozin did not affect risk of non-genital SSTIs or non-genital fungal SSTIs compared with placebo. These findings suggest that any SGLT2 inhibitor-mediated change in skin microenvironment is unlikely to have meaningful clinical consequences.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2151-2162
Number of pages12
JournalDiabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
Volume25
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug-2023

Keywords

  • canagliflozin
  • clinical trial
  • diabetes complications
  • randomized trial
  • SGLT2 inhibitor
  • type 2 diabetes

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