SGLT-2 inhibitors are a relatively new class of diabetes drugs that have shown many benefits for people with type 2 diabetes who have not responded well to previous interventions, including diet changes and metformin. Patients who take this medication see benefits that include weight loss, reduction in fatty liver disease, and a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center, in a team led by Mary Elizabeth Patti, MD, FACE, set out to understand how these benefits happen. They found that SGLT-2 inhibitors induce a fasting state in the body without requiring the patient to sharply cut back on food intake. Their paper, published in JCI Insight, details how SGLT-2 inhibitors induce a fasting state that triggers many metabolic benefits, including lowering of blood glucose, weight loss, a reduction of fat accumulation in the liver and reduced body fat. These benefits occur without raising insulin levels. Continue reading->