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Fatty Liver Index and Differential Glycemic Responses to Ipragliflozin Versus Sitagliptin Over 52 Weeks: An Exploratory Post Hoc Analysis of the Niigata Ipragliflozin and Sitagliptin With Metformin (N-ISM) Study

Kitazawa M, Katagiri T, Suzuki H, Yamada M, Hatta M, Takizawa H, Murai K, Sato T et al.

Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2026

91 participants

Abstract

AIMS: To explore whether fatty liver index (FLI) stratification is associated with differential glycemic responses to sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors as second-line therapy in type 2 diabetes without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this exploratory post hoc analysis of a previous 52-week randomised trial of ipragliflozin versus sitagliptin added to metformin in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, 91 patients were stratified by median FLI into low (< 51; n = 44) and high (≥ 51; n = 47) groups. The outcome was the 52-week change in glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The treatment-by-FLI interaction was tested by baseline-HbA1c-adjusted analysis of covariance; FLI was also modelled continuously and parallel analyses used body mass index (BMI) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

RESULTS: The baseline-HbA1c-adjusted treatment-by-FLI interaction was significant at 52 weeks (p = 0.013): ipragliflozin was associated with a greater HbA1c reduction than sitagliptin in the high FLI group (-0.41%, 95% confidence interval -0.77, -0.06; p = 0.023), with no significant difference in the low FLI group (+0.24%; p = 0.194). The interaction was also significant with FLI modelled continuously (p = 0.013) and in mixed-model and multiple-imputation sensitivity analyses (p = 0.010 and 0.003). BMI and ALT showed similar significant interactions (p = 0.028 and 0.032), favouring…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 91 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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