Effect of Ramadan fasting in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) improve glycemic control and weight, but might be associated with dehydration, hypotension and ketoacidosis, especially in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who fast during Ramadan. This meta-analysis evaluates the effects of Ramadan fasting on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with SGLT-2i. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was carried out in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Quality assessment was carried out using the ROBINS-I and Cochrane tools for risk of bias, and analyses were carried out using RevMan version 5.3. RESULTS: A total of five studies were included in this meta-analysis. During Ramadan, there was a significant reduction in glycated hemoglobin (P < 0.00001) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.006), with a non-significant trend for a reduction in weight (P = 0.44) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.67). The number and severity of hypoglycemic episodes was lower in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with SGLT-2i compared with sulfonylureas. There was no significant change in estimated glomerular filtration rate, ß-hydroxybutyrate, bicarbonate or anion gap. However, we identified considerable heterogeneity among studies, and a lack of head-to-head studies with structured outcome reporting on the risks and benefits of SGLT-2i during Ramadan. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis shows that patients with type 2 diabetes treated with SGLT2i's during Ramadan have an improvement in HbA1c, less hypoglycemia and no major adverse effects.