Canagliflozin reduces the threshold for glycosuria from a plasma glucose threshold of approximately 180 mg/dL to 70–90 mg/dL. It has been shown to reduce HbA1c by 0.6–1% when used alone or in combination with other oral agents or insulin. It also results in modest weight loss of 2–5 kg. The usual dosage is 100 mg daily. Increasing the dosage to 300 mg daily in patients with normal renal function can lower the HbA1c by an additional 0.5%.
Dapagliflozin reduces HbA1c by 0.5–0.8% when used alone or in combination with other oral agents or insulin. It also results in modest weight loss of about 2–4 kg. The usual dosage is 10 mg daily, but 5 mg daily is recommended initially in patients with hepatic failure.
Empagliflozin reduces HbA1c by 0.5–0.7% when used alone or in combination with other oral agents or insulin. It also results in modest weight loss of 2–3 kg. The usual dosage is 10 mg daily, but 25 mg/d may be used. In a postmarketing multinational study of 7020 type 2 patients with known cardiovascular disease, the addition of empagliflozin was associated with a lower primary composite outcome of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke (hazard ratio, 0.86; p = 0.04). The mechanisms regarding this benefit remain unclear. Weight loss, lower blood pressure, and diuresis may have played a role since there were fewer deaths from heart failure in the treated group whereas the rates of myocardial infarction were unaltered.