S1122 Association Between SGLT2 Inhibitors and Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Non-Diabetic Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease or Heart Failure
Introduction: Sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have emerged as key therapies for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure (HF), including in non-diabetic patients. In addition to their established glucose-lowering and renoprotective effects, SGLT2is exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms—such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating—are common among patients with CKD and HF, potentially due to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. This study aimed to evaluate the association between SGLT2i use and the incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and related GI symptoms in non-diabetic patients with CKD or HF. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX, a global database of de-identified electronic health records from over 101 million patients. Adults diagnosed with CKD or HF in the past 5 years were identified via International Classification of Diseases-10 codes. The exposure group included patients prescribed SGLT2is; controls had no SGLT2i use. Patients with preexisting or incident diabetes or prior IBS were excluded. Propensity score matching (1:1) was based on age, sex, race, ethnicity, obesity, smoking, psychiatric comorbidities (depression, anxiety), use of GLP-1 agonists, lisinopril, losartan, spironolactone, and history of organ transplant or major GI surgery. We assessed incident IBS (excluding diagnoses within the first 6 months) and related GI symptoms: abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Associations were reported as ORs with 95% CIs. Results: After matching, each cohort comprised 125,396 patients. SGLT2i use was associated with significantly lower incidence and odds of developing IBS (OR 0.48; 95% CI, 0.43–0.54). Reduced incidence and odds were observed across IBS subtypes: IBS-D (OR 0.48; 95% CI, 0.39–0.59), IBS-C (OR 0.41; 95% CI, 0.32–0.53), and IBS-M (OR 0.41; 95% CI, 0.29–0.55). Additionally, the odds of IBS-related symptoms were lower among SGLT2i users: abdominal pain (OR 0.41; 95% CI, 0.39–0.42), bloating (OR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.39–0.45), diarrhea (OR 0.40; 95% CI, 0.38–0.42), and constipation (OR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.41–0.44). Conclusion: In this large, propensity-matched cohort, SGLT2i use in non-diabetic CKD or HF patients was linked to lower risk of IBS and GI symptoms. While causality can't be confirmed, findings suggest a potential protective effect on GI motility. Prospective studies are needed to confirm and explore mechanisms.
Authors
- Jin‐Xiu Pan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4013-1390)
- Darwin Tan
- Jiayan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8191-2869)
- Scott Gabbard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8915-3016)
- Xiaoliang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7036-1089)
- Yilin Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2209-1380)
- Gengqing Song
- Yan Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8486-3967)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The American Journal of Gastroenterology
- Published
- 2025-10-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.14309/01.ajg.0001131948.41098.23
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.81