Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitors and the Risk of Genitourinary Infections at HbA1c ≥10%: A Population Health-Based Retrospective Review.

This article examines the risk of genitourinary (GU) infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), comparing those with a baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level ≥10% to those with HbA1c <10%. In a retrospective cohort study of 5,542 adults prescribed SGLT2i, no significant difference was found in GU infection rates or total infections between the two HbA1c groups after adjusting for confounders. Female sex and prior recurrent GU infections were identified as risk factors for increased infection, while a high baseline HbA1c was not. These findings suggest that delaying SGLT2i initiation solely due to elevated HbA1c to prevent GU infections may be unnecessary, though further research is recommended to confirm these results and assess other potential adverse effects.