Sodium and glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors: a new class of drugs for the treatment of diabetic and non-diabetic nephropathy

Inhibitors of renal sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) are a new class of antidiabetic drugs that have recently been introduced into clinical practice for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to CREDENCE study, the inclusion of canagliflozin in drug therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus not only provides adequate control of blood glucose but also has a pronounced nephroprotective effect, which manifests in a significant reduction in the risk of progression of renal dysfunction in patients with stages 2, 3a and 3b CKD. The identification of nephroprotective effects in SGLT2 inhibitors, which is not related to their antihyperglycemic effect, suggests the possibility of using drugs of this class for drug therapy of patients with CKD of non-diabetic etiology. The review presents the data of clinical studies devoted to elucidating the participation of diuretic action and the associated decrease in blood pressure and venous stasis in the kidneys, improving glomerular hemodynamics and inhibiting the activity of intrarenal RAS in the mechanism of nephroprotective action of these drugs. Large-scale DAPA-CKD and EMPA-KIDNEY studies are currently underway, the results of which will provide information on the clinical efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin and empagliflozin in non-diabetic patients with the impaired renal function of varying severity, including those with stage 4 CKD. Initial data obtained in the DAPA-CKD trial indicated that dapagliflozin, when added to nephroprotective therapy, significantly improves renal outcomes not only in patients with type 2 diabetes but also in patients with CKD of non-diabetic origin, including those with glomerulonephritis, hypertensive nephropathy, and other kidney damage.