Cardiometabolic & kidneyCohort study

Comparative Effectiveness of Second-Line Antihyperglycemic Agents for Cardiovascular Outcomes

J Am Coll CardiolPublished

  • Retrospective cohort study
  • active-comparator target trial emulation
  • large-scale propensity score models
  • on-treatment analysis
  • random-effects meta-analysis
  • 10 federated international data sources

Authors' conclusion

In patients with T2DM and CVD, comparable cardiovascular risk reduction was found with SGLT2is and GLP-1 RAs, with both agents more effective than DPP4is, which in turn were more effective than SUs.

Study context

Population
Patients with T2DM and cardiovascular disease (CVD) on metformin monotherapy initiating a second-line agent (LEGEND-T2DM network, 1992–2021)10 data sources
Participants
1,492,855 patients
Exposure
SGLT2is vs GLP-1 RAs vs DPP4is vs SUs as second-line agents
Outcome
3-point MACE (MI, stroke, death) and 4-point MACE (3-point MACE plus HF hospitalization)

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

3-point MACE
Hazard ratio (95% CI)
SGLT2is vs DPP4is
0.89(0.79–1.00)
GLP-1 RAs vs DPP4is
0.83(0.70–0.98)
SGLT2is vs SUs
0.76(0.65–0.89)
GLP-1 RAs vs SUs
0.72(0.58–0.88)
DPP4is vs SUs
0.87(0.79–0.95)
SGLT2is vs GLP-1 RAsno significant difference
1.06(0.96–1.17)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

OutcomeHR (95% CI)
4-point MACE · no significant difference1.05 (0.97–1.13)
  • 4-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE): 41,447 4-point MACE events

4-point MACE

Same pattern as for 3-point MACE

Original publication

Comparative Effectiveness of Second-Line Antihyperglycemic Agents for Cardiovascular Outcomes. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 3 September 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.05.069

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it