The extent of use of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes in clinical practice: A study from India

Background and Aim: The cost of diabetes complication management is always much higher than the cost of diabetes treatment, even with novel and expensive molecules available. Thus, it is better to halt complications in the initial phase of the disease, rather than just treating hyperglycemia. Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) is marking a new era in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), showing significant benefits for mortality, hospitalization due to heart failure, and renal complications. The usage of SGLT2 inhibitors in clinical practice is still low. The aim of our study to know the prevalence and reasons for not prescribing SGLT-2i among Indian diabetologists. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 10 states of India from 15 March to 31 July 2019. The primary question was asked to a doctor for the next 20 new patients at the clinic, “Was the patient initiated with SGLT-2i treatment?” If it was “Yes” the patient was excluded and if the marked option was “No” then the reason was selected for not prescribing the drug. Results: Out of 1132 patients, 687 (60.69%) patients were not prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors. Among them, the main reason for not prescribing SGLT-2i was cost (41.45%), followed by catabolic state (19.62%). Conclusion: It was found that cost is the major reason for not prescribing SGLT2 inhibitors. In spite of promising glycemic and extra glycemic benefits, it is the need of an hour to increase awareness and abetting physicians to prescribe SGLT-2 inhibitors in all appropriate patients at early stage of the disease to prevent the complications and its higher expenditure at the later stage of the disease.