A Comparison of Renal Effects between Empagliflozin and Linagliptin in Diabetic Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: The current study aimed to compare the renal effects of Empagliflozin with Linagliptin combined with Metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease. combined with Metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease. Materials and Methods: We conducted a randomized clinical trial on diabetic patients aged over 18 years with chronic renal failure and an EGFR between 20 to 60 ml/minutes/1.73 m2 corrected with the MDRD equation. Between January and December 2023, a total of 150 cases in Imam Hossein Hospital were randomized into two study arms of 75 cases receiving Empagliflozin (10 mg/day) and metformin or Linagliptin (5mg/day) and metformin for 6 months. The primary outcome was a change in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage, while serum creatinine, fasting blood sugar (FBS), proteinuria, and blood pressure were evaluated at baseline, 3 and 6 months later. Results: The mean age of participants was 62.20 (± 4.45) years and 50% of them were females. Study indices including serum creatinine (P: 0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (P: 0.001), FBS (P: 0.001), HgA1c (P: 0.001), proteinuria (P: 0.001), and blood pressure (P: 0.001) reduced significantly over time in both groups. After adjustment for potential confounders, Empagliflozin reduced the level of serum creatinine independent of other factors. Conclusion: Empagliflozin significantly reduces the level of serum creatinine compared to Linagliptin in patients with T2DM and chronic renal failure.