Energy balance
SGLT2 inhibitors produce modest weight loss (2-5 kg) in Type 2 Diabetes, which is significantly less than the ~10 kg/year predicted by caloric loss from glycosuria due to compensatory metabolic adaptations.
If you are taking an SGLT2 inhibitor for diabetes, expect a modest weight loss of 2-5 kg, not the dramatic loss you might calculate from urine sugar loss. This modest loss is still beneficial for your heart and kidneys. Use this weight change as a motivational anchor to support other healthy lifestyle changes, rather than relying on the drug alone for significant fat loss.
The actual loss in body weight is much less, as shown in clinical trials and in clinical practice... Clinical trials and observational data show that weight reduction is lower than expected (approximately 2–5 kg)... The relationship between SGLT2 inhibition and the caloric effect turned out to be much more complex and not a simple linear function, as initially thought.
Why this rating
Based on multiple large Cardiovascular Outcome Trials (CVOTs) and meta-analyses cited.
Source
SGLT2 Inhibitors and the Clinical Implications of Associated Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review
Andrej Janež et al. · Diabetes Therapy · 2021
DOI 10.1007/s13300-021-01104-z
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