Diabetes medications may trigger side effects that require more drugs

Key Points:

• A recent study published in BMC Medicine found that common diabetes medications often trigger prescribing cascades, where additional drugs are prescribed to treat side effects of the initial medication, particularly affecting older adults with type 2 diabetes.
• Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which increase urination and sugar in urine, were frequently followed by prescriptions for antibiotics, antifungals, and overactive bladder medications to manage urinary tract infections and related side effects.
• Thiazolidinediones, another diabetes drug, were commonly followed by prescriptions for loop diuretics to address side effects like swelling and fluid retention caused by the medication.
• Other diabetes-related medications such as statins and calcium channel blockers were also linked to prescribing cascades, with statins leading to treatments for urinary symptoms and sleep disturbances, and calcium channel blockers causing swelling managed by diuretics.
• Researchers recommend recognizing adverse drug reactions early to modify or stop the initial medication, potentially reducing unnecessary prescriptions and the overall treatment burden for patients.