Drugs containing saxagliptin or alogliptin may be linked to heart failure risk
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Diabetes medications containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may raise the risk of heart failure, particularly in patients with heart or kidney disease, U.S. health officials warned Tuesday.
The FDA said its warning was based on results of two large trials done involving patients with heart disease. Both trials found that more patients taking drugs containing saxagliptin or alogliptin were hospitalized for heart failure than patients receiving a placebo.
In the saxagliptin trial, 3.5 percent of patients receiving the drug were hospitalized for heart failure, compared with 2.8 percent of patients receiving a placebo. Risk factors included a history of heart failure or kidney impairment, the FDA reported. In the alogliptin trial, 3.9 percent of patients taking the drug were hospitalized for heart failure, compared with 3.3 percent receiving a placebo.
The FDA said it’s asking doctors to consider discontinuing medications containing saxagliptin and alogliptin in patients who develop heart failure. If blood glucose is not well-controlled with current treatments, other diabetes drugs may be needed, the agency said.
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