Assessment of the Utilization of Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Patients Without Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) have demonstrated effects beyond glucose-lowering, leading to their approval for treating chronic heart failure (HF) in Japan. This study examines prescription trends for SGLT2Is in patients with diabetes versus those without diabetes, focusing on their backgrounds and HF treatment status of patients without diabetes who received SGLT2I after an HF diagnosis. Methods: Using data from DeSC Healthcare Inc., we analyzed patients aged 65 and above who received their first SGLT2I prescription between October 2014 and February 2023. Patients were classified into SGLT2I-treated diabetic and non-diabetic groups. We analyzed the annual prescription trends and compared the characteristics of both groups who started SGLT2I between 2022 and 2023. Additionally, we assessed the timing of SGLT2I initiation and the use of concomitant HF treatment in patients without diabetes after HF diagnosis. Results: The proportion of patients without diabetes receiving their first SGLT2I prescription has increased since 2021. Patients without diabetes receiving SGLT2Is were older, likely owing to aging-related diseases. In patients without a confirmed diabetes diagnosis, SGLT2I was most frequently initiated at the time of HF diagnosis. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are the most common concomitant HF medications. The increase in SGLT2I prescriptions for patients without diabetes receiving SGLT2I since 2021, particularly in older individuals, suggests that SGLT2I is being initiated either at the time of HF diagnosis or in a stepwise manner. Conclusion: In Japan, MRA is commonly used as a concomitant medication in patients without diabetes receiving SGLT2I.