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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Don't wait too long on SGLT2s after a kidney crisis. A new study in JAMA Network Open found that type 2 diabetes patients who started SGLT2 inhibitors within 30 days of discharge after dialysis-requiring AKI had significantly fewer adverse kidney events than those who waited 31–90 days. The findings suggest the post-AKI recovery window may be a critical time to act — though experts say a randomized trial is still needed.
Don't wait too long on SGLT2s after a kidney crisis
For patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) recovering from severe acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis, timing may be everything. A new cohort study published in JAMA Network Open found that starting an SGLT2 inhibitor within 30 days of hospital discharge was linked to significantly better kidney outcomes compared to starting between days 31 and 90 — suggesting the post-AKI recovery period is a critical therapeutic window.
The study used a target trial emulation design, drawing from over 129,000 eligible patients in the TriNetX Global Collaboration Network. After propensity score matching, researchers compared 1,912 patients per group and followed them for a mean of 3.4 years. Notably, only 3.4% of eligible patients initiated an SGLT2 inhibitor within 90 days of discharge, reflecting how cautious clinicians tend to be in this setting.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Many clinicians hesitate to prescribe SGLT2 inhibitors soon after AKI due to safety concerns, but this study suggests that earlier initiation — when patients are clinically stable — may help prevent progression to chronic kidney disease. Experts note the findings are hypothesis-generating and call for prospective randomized trials to confirm optimal timing.
