Meta-Analysis Clarifies Differing Benefits and Risks for SGLT-2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Both sodium–glucose cotransporter protein (SGLT)-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists, when added to other treatments for type 2 diabetes, lower cardiovascular (CV)-related mortality and nonfatal adverse CV events, but the relative benefits of these two drug classes remain unclear. This network meta-analysis included 764 randomized trials (>400,000 patients) in which SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists were compared with one another or with other glucose-lowering drugs, placebo, or standard care in patients with type 2 diabetes. Trial durations were 24 weeks or longer. Findings were as follows:

• Both classes of drugs prevented CV-related mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and kidney failure, with …