Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Tied to Lower Use of Gout Medications

TUESDAY, Feb. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For patients with gout and type 2 diabetes, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) may reduce the need for gout-related medication, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in Diabetes Care.

Natalie McCormick, Ph.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues compared rates of allopurinol initiation and use of anti-inflammatories (high-dose glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], colchicine) and diuretics (prototypic serum urate-raising medication) among 26,739 adults with gout and type 2 diabetes using SGLT2is versus dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).

The researchers found that allopurinol initiation was lower among SGLT2i initiators than DPP-4i users (hazard ratio, 0.62). Among those using diuretics at baseline, associations were stronger and persisted when comparing SGLT2i to GLP-1 RAs and accounting for serum urate and body mass index. SGLT2i use was also associated with lower rates of high-dose glucocorticoid (rate ratio [RR], 0.78), NSAID (RR, 0.85), colchicine (RR, 0.87), and diuretic dispensing (RR, 0.87).

“For patients with gout and type 2 diabetes, SGLT2is may reduce gout-related medication use, which could, in turn, reduce exposure to the harmful cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic effects of NSAIDs and glucocorticoids in this high-risk population,” the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

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