Case Report

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Improve Chronic Diabetic Macular Edema

Table 1

Summary of three cases of DME pre and 6 months (M) after the SGLT2-i administration.

Case 1Case 2Case 3
Pre6 M after SGLT2-iPre6 M after SGLT2-iPre6 M after SGLT2-i

Age (yrs)/sex66/F68/F61/F
Body height (cm)158156153
Body weight (kg)49.145.24341.146.145
Blood pressure (mmHg)150/82136/62128/70126/74124/77121/70
SGLT2 inhibitorEmpagliflozin 25 mgDapagliflozin 5 mgLuseogliflozin 2.5 mg
Diabetes treatmentVildagliptin 100 mg
Glimepiride 1.5 mg
Vildagliptin 100 mgAlogliptin 25 mg
Acarbose 300 mg
Metformin 500 mg
Acarbose 300 mg
Metformin 500 mg
Ophthalmic treatment; ODFocal laserFocal/grid laser IVA ×7Focal laser, IVA ×1
; OSFocal laserIVR ×2, STTA ×2Focal laser ×3, IVA ×5, STTA ×2
Central retinal thickness (μm) OD/OS223/598230/232519/467491/326613/412451/273
Visual acuity OD/OS(1.0)/(0.3)(1.2)/(0.6)(0.3)/(0.3)(0.6)/(0.3)(1.0)/(1.0)(1.0)/(1.0)
HgA1c (%)7.46.57.07.96.56.1
Blood glucose (mg/dL)116118118129113100
Total protein (g/dL)ND6.56.46.97.6ND
Albumin (g/dL)NDNDND4.14.2ND
Aspartate aminotransferase (U/L)ND1812122122
Alanine aminotransferase (U/L)ND1311111818
Creatinine (mg/dL)0.470.420.610.650.590.62
U-protein (qualitative analysis)±
U-albumin (mg/g・Cre)8.76.9NDND24.8ND

DME: diabetic macular edema; SGLT2-i: SGLT2 inhibitor; OD: oculus dexter; OS: oculus sinister; IVA: intravitreal injection of aflibercept; IVR: intravitreal injection of ranibizumab; STTA: sub-Tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide.