Gout-Related Medication Use After Initiating Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Patients With Gout and Type 2 Diabetes: Population-Based Target Trial Emulation Studies

Jan 30, 2026Diabetes care

Changes in Gout Medicine Use After Starting Diabetes Drugs That Lower Blood Sugar by Removing Sugar Through Urine in People With Gout and Type 2 Diabetes

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Abstract

Among 26,739 adults with gout and type 2 diabetes, SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with lower rates of allopurinol initiation compared to DPP-4 inhibitors.

Allopurinol initiation was 38% lower among SGLT2 inhibitor users than DPP-4 inhibitor users, with a hazard ratio of 0.62.
The reduction in allopurinol initiation was more pronounced in patients using diuretics at baseline.
SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with lower dispensing rates of high-dose glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, colchicine, and diuretics.
The rate ratios for medication dispensing were 0.78 for glucocorticoids, 0.85 for NSAIDs, 0.87 for colchicine, and 0.87 for diuretics.

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OBJECTIVE: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) lower serum urate and are associated with a lower risk of recurrent gout flares. We used target trial emulation to compare rates of allopurinol initiation and use of anti-inflammatories (high-dose glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], colchicine) and diuretics (prototypic serum urate-raising medication) among patients with gout using SGLT2is versus dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) (primary comparator), with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) as an alternative comparator.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: From a general population database, we identified patients with gout and comorbid type 2 diabetes and used Cox proportional hazards and Poisson regressions with inverse probability of treatment weighting to emulate randomization to SGLT2i or DPP-4i/GLP-1RA. We also replicated the analysis in an electronic health record data set with further adjustment for serum urate and BMI.

RESULTS: Among 26,739 adults with gout and type 2 diabetes (mean age 66 years), 67% had polypharmacy. Allopurinol initiation was lower among SGLT2i initiators than DPP-4i, with a hazard ratio of 0.62 (95% CI 0.52-0.73). Associations were stronger among those using diuretics at baseline (P for interaction = 0.03) and persisted when comparing SGLT2i with GLP-1RA and accounting for serum urate and BMI in the secondary data set. SGLT2i was also associated with lower rates of high-dose glucocorticoid, NSAID, colchicine, and diuretic dispensing, with rate ratios of 0.78 (95% CI 0.74-0.83), 0.85 (95% CI 0.80-0.92), 0.87 (95% CI 0.83-0.92), and 0.87 (95% CI 0.85-0.89), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: For patients with gout and type 2 diabetes, SGLT2is may reduce gout-related medication use, which could, in turn, reduce exposure to the harmful cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic effects of NSAIDs and glucocorticoids in this high-risk population.

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Gout-Related Medication Use After Initiating Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Patients With Gout and Type 2 Diabetes: Population-Based Target Trial Emulation Studies

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