Association Between SGLT-2 Inhibitors Use and Incidence of Anemia in Female Patients Undergoing Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND

While emerging evidence suggests that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors may increase hemoglobin levels through erythropoiesis stimulation and iron metabolism modulation, their relationship with anemia risk in patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) remains poorly characterized.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX database to identify adult female patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent MBS and subsequently initiated SGLT-2 inhibitors or DPP-4 inhibitors (active comparator). The primary outcome was the risk of anemia (hemoglobin level < 12 g/dL) at one-year follow-up, with additional assessments at six months and three years. Secondary outcomes included the risk of pneumonia and urinary tract infection at the same follow-up intervals.

RESULTS

After matching, 389 patients were analyzed per group. SGLT-2 inhibitor use demonstrated significant protective effects against anemia development across all follow-up periods compared to DPP-4 inhibitors: six months (hazard ratio [HR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.80, p < 0.001), one year (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.44-0.75, p < 0.001), and three years (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.51-0.81, p < 0.001). Secondary outcomes showed no significant differences between the groups, with comparable rates of pneumonia (3.3% vs. 3.9% at one year, p = 0.758) and urinary tract infection (8.0% vs. 7.5% at one year, p = 0.658).

CONCLUSIONS

SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with reduced anemia risk in female patients after MBS, with effects observed from six months through three-year follow-up. However, given the relatively small sample size, potential unmeasured confounding factors, and observational study design, prospective randomized controlled trials are required to establish causality before informing clinical practice recommendations.