New study spotlights a link between blockbuster SGLT2 drugs and potentially lethal gangrene
A new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine highlights an apparent connection between the new wave of SGLT2 diabetes drugs and extremely rare cases of flesh-eating bacteria called Fournier gangrene that attacks the genital and rectal areas of patients.
Researchers tracked 55 cases of necrotizing fasciitis over 6 years leading up to January 31, 2019. All of these incidents were flagged by the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System. Thirty-nine of the victims were men, the rest women. Several of the patients required surgery while three died and two others required amputations to stop the attack.
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