Why carry out this study?

Altered body composition plays a significant role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are new glucose-lowering drugs that reduce body weight, but their effect on body composition remains uncertain.

This review aimed to investigate the association of SGLT2 inhibitors and body composition in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

What was learned from the review?

SGLT2 inhibitors reduce total body weight in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Reduction of body weight is primarily due to the loss of fat mass.

In long-term studies, loss of fat-free mass approximately contributes 35% of body weight reduction. This change is comparable to the body composition changes reported after lifestyle interventions and bariatric surgery.

The impact of SGLT2 inhibitors on body composition significantly differs from sulfonylureas and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, but it is similar to glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.