SGLT2 Inhibition with Empagliflozin as a Possible Therapeutic Option for Postprandial Hypoglycemia After Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Since SGLT2 inhibitors may reduce postprandial hyperglycemia, this study aimed to evaluated whether empagliflozin might be useful in the treatment of postprandial hypoglycemia (PPH) postbariatric surgery (BS). Fourteen patients who underwent BS, nine without type 2 diabetes and five with diabetes before surgery and in remission after surgery, were included. Seven of them presented symptoms of PPH (hypoglycemic group; HG) and seven were asymptomatic (nonhypoglycemic group (NHG)). A meal tolerance test was performed before and after administration of a daily dose of empagliflozin (EMPA) 25mg for 3days. Plasma glucose and serum insulin levels were measured. In HG, compared with NHG, in the basal test, the area under the curve (AUC) of plasma glucose levels (AUCgly) was smaller (158.3 ± 25.3 vs 276.6 ± 79.2mgh dL-1; p = 0.001) while the AUC of insulin levels (AUCins) did not differ, leading to a higher AUCins/AUCgly ratio (0.79 ± 0.46 vs 0.38 ± 0.20; p = 0.055) and a lower HOMA-IR (0.92 ± 0.22 vs 1.75 ± 0.77; p = 0.030). The HG after EMPA, but not the NHG, showed significant increases in glycemia leading to greater AUCgly (158.0 ± 25.3 to 197.2 ± 51.6mgh dL-1; p = 0.043) without significant changes in AUCins. HOMA-IR increased only in the HG (0.92 ± 0.20 vs 1.61 ± 0.30; p = 0.025) and, when both groups were analyzed together, both before and post EMPA, a significant correlation was found between HOMA-IR and AUCgly values (r = 0.594; p = 0.002). Our results suggest that empagliflozin increased glycemic levels in patients with PPH possibly through increases in hepatic glucose production.