Effect of switching from pioglitazone to the sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin on body weight and metabolism-related factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An open-label, prospective, randomized, parallel-group comparison trial

The effects of dapagliflozin (DAP) and pioglitazone (PIO) on body weight and glycaemic control were compared in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Seventy-one patients on PIO were either switched to DAP (n = 36) at 5 mg per day or continued on PIO (n = 35). Primary endpoints were superiority of body weight loss and non-inferiority of HbA1c level after 24 weeks with DAP. Body weight decrease was greater with DAP than with PIO (75.3 +/- 14.9 to 71.3 +/- 15.1 kg vs. 74.7 +/- 13.8 to 75.2 +/- 13.9 kg; P < 0.01). Change in the HbA1c level was comparable (P = 0.64). The level of N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and urinary albumin : creatinine ratio (ACR) decreased only with DAP (NT-proBNP, P < 0.01; ACR, P = 0.02), and the change in NT-proBNP correlated negatively with baseline NT-proBNP level (rho = -0.68, P < 0.01) and log-converted ACR (rho = -0.35, P < 0.05). DAP promotes body weight loss in type 2 diabetes mellitus and may decrease fluid retention, thus reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular events.