Kidney function decline in metformin versus sulfonylurea initiators: assessment of time-dependent contribution of weight, blood pressure, and glycemic control
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We recently reported that kidney function declined faster among initiators of sulfonylureas compared to metformin; however, sulfonylurea use compared to metformin use was also associated with increases in body mass index (BMI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). We sought to determine if differences between sulfonylureas and metformin on kidney function decline were mediated by differential effects on BMI, SBP, or glucose control.
METHODS: We identified 13,238 veterans who initiated sulfonylurea or metformin treatment (2000–2007) with a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >60 mL/minute, and followed them until a study event occurred, non-persistence on treatment, loss of follow-up, or end of the study. The composite outcome was a sustained decline from baseline eGFR of ≥25%, end-stage renal disease, or death. We estimated the association of cumulative measurements of potential mediators including BMI, SBP, and glycated hemoglobin on the study outcome. We determined if controlling for these time-varying covariates accounted for the differences in outcome between sulfonylurea and metformin initiators.
RESULTS: Compared to sulfonylurea use, metformin use was associated with a lower risk for renal function decline or death [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.70, 0.97]. This protective association remained significant [aHR 0.83 (0.70–0.98)] when accounting for the cumulative time-varying measurements of the three…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, 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.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Metformin as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment
- Metformin Lysosomal Targeting: A Novel Aspect to Be Investigated for Metformin Repurposing in Neurodegenerative Diseases?
- Aberrant HSF1 signaling activation underlies metformin amelioration of myocardial infarction in mice
- Metformin induces ZFP36 by mTORC1 inhibition in cervical cancer-derived cell lines
- Protein Interaction Network for Identifying Vascular Response of Metformin (Oral Antidiabetic)
- Preventing Long COVID With Metformin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.