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Diabetes mellitus

SGLT2 Inhibitors Show Promise in Reducing Liver Cancer Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolism has found that the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and all-cause mortality in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The research, conducted by investigators at Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital in Yilan, Taiwan, analyzed data from a multinational, retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX federated electronic health record network.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study identified 93,930 patients with MASLD and pre-existing T2D who used SGLT2i, and compared them with 93,930 active comparators with excellent covariate balance.
  • The median follow-up period was 3.24 years (IQR 1.72-5.09) in the SGLT2i group and 3.25 years (IQR 1.72-5.08) in comparators.
  • The risk of HCC was significantly lower in the SGLT2i group compared to the comparator group, with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 0.43 (95% CI 0.29-0.63).
  • The risk of all-cause mortality was also significantly lower in the SGLT2i group, with an aHR of 0.34 (95% CI 0.33-0.35).
  • The study also found that SGLT2i use was associated with reduced risks of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatic nodules.

Statistics:

  • 93,930 patients with MASLD and T2D used SGLT2i.
  • 93,930 active comparators with excellent covariate balance were included in the study.
  • The median follow-up period was 3.24 years (IQR 1.72-5.09) in the SGLT2i group and 3.25 years (IQR 1.72-5.08) in comparators.
  • The risk of HCC was 0.05% in the SGLT2i group and 0.08% in comparators.
  • The risk of all-cause mortality was 5.32% in the SGLT2i group and 10.50% in comparators.

Sources:

  • Szu-Yuan Wu et al. Sglt2 Inhibitors and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Patients With Masld and Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes & Metabolism, 2025;51(6).
  • Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital, Lo Hsu Med Fdn, Big Data Ctr, Yilan, Taiwan.
  • Ruey-Shyang Soong, Ming-Che Lee, Wan-Ming Chen, An-Tzu Jao, and Chih-Lang Lin, co-authors of the study.
  • TriNetX federated electronic health record network.

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