Endocrine Abstracts

Background: In addition to glucose-lowering effects, Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT2i) are the preferred treatment of choice in patients with heart failure due to their diuretic effects through glucosuria and natriuresis. However, there is limited data about urinary symptoms associated with SGLT2i use.

Objectives: Low urinary tract symptoms such as increased urinary frequency, urgency, or incontinence due to SGLT2i use are not described in many studies. We aimed to show whether SGLT2i use is associated with low urinary symptoms.

Methods: Fifty-four patients (22 male, 32 female) with type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM), over 18 years of age, without urinary infection, chronic kidney disease, or organic lower urinary tract disease were included in the study. Initially, all patients were screened for low urinary tract symptoms with the OABS-8 questionnaire before SGLT2i treatment. Whether an overactive bladder was detected or not, all patients were asked to fill out the questionnaire again at the first and third months of the treatment. Changes in symptom scores were investigated in terms of association with SGLT2i use. HbA1C, fasting blood glucose, body mass index, and blood pressure values were also evaluated.

Results: All patients’ mean OABS-8 total score was 10.10±5.03, significantly decreasing after SGLT2i administration. 17 out of 54 patients were with OABSS before the SGLT2i treatment. Mean total scores at baseline were 15.41±4.0 and 7.1±2.35 in patients with OABSS (n=17) and patients without OABSS (n=37), respectively. The total score of patients without OABSS was significantly decreased in the first and third months of the treatment. On the other hand, 17 patients who had OABSS showed a significant reduction in their total score in the first month but not in the third month (Table-1).

Conclusion: Although there are concerns about increased low urinary tract symptoms associated with the diüretic effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors, our study did not show an increase in OABSS scores.