Efficacy and Safety of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in the Very Elderly with Chronic Kidney Disease: a Retrospective Cohort Study Using Real-World Data

Importance

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, with aging being a major contributor. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are well established therapies for CKD; however, adults aged 80 years or older have been underrepresented in previous large-scale trials. Consequently, evidence regarding effects of SGLT2i therapy in this cohort remains limited.

Objective

To evaluate the association of SGLT2i initiation with mortality, kidney outcomes and cardiovascular outcomes among patients over 80 years of age and CKD.

Design, Setting, Participants

This retrospective cohort study used data from TriNetX Research Network, a multicenter electronic health record database. To ensure comparable standard of care and SGLT2i eligibility, the period for the occurrence of the index event was restricted to January 1, 2021, until January 1, 2025. Propensity score matching was performed to balance comorbidities, laboratory parameters, concomitant medications, and frailty-associated factors between groups.

Exposures

Initiation of SGLT2i therapy vs. non-use

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcome analysis focused on all-cause mortality, major adverse kidney events (MAKE) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals; following propensity score matching, results were considered as adjusted hazard ratios (aHR).

Results

After propensity score matching, 5,038 patients were included in each group. During two years of follow-up, SGLT2i initiation was associated with lower all-cause mortality (aHR 0.818; 95% CI 0.746 – 0.896, p<0.0001) and fewer MAKE events (aHR 0.779; 95% CI 0.0.715 - 0.850, p<0.0001). No significant difference in MACE was observed (aHR 1.007; 95%CI 0.938 - 1.082, p=0.84). Results were generally consistent across subgroups. Risk of acute kidney injury was higher in the SGLT2i group, while incident dialysis and end-stage renal disease were significantly reduced. Acute myocardial infarction and acute heart failure were increased in the SGLT2i group.

Conclusion and Relevance

Regarding survival and kidney endpoints, even the oldest CKD patients seem to benefit from SGLT2i treatment, which was associated with reduced mortality as well as improved long-term renal outcomes. MACE showed no significant differences, while specific cardiac events were increased, reflecting possible safety concerns requiring further investigation in this specific age group.

Key points