Professor emerita Auburn University Auburn, Alabama, United States
Abstract:
Background: As SGLT2-inhibitors do not require insulin to lower blood glucose, they are a promising therapy for cats with diabetes mellitus due to insulin resistance caused by hypersomatotropism/ acromegaly (acro-DM). Hypothesis/
Objectives: Acro-DM cats treated with velagliflozin will achieve glycemic and clinical control comparable to non-acromegalic diabetic cats. Animals: 233 client-owned diabetic cats; 25 (10.7 %) with acromegaly (IGF-1 > 900 ng/mL) and 208 (89.3 %) with normal IGF-1 (non-acro-DM)
Methods: Prospective trial evaluating once daily, oral velagliflozin. Physical examinations and blood collections performed on days 0, 3, 7, 30, 60, 120, and 180. Data are median (range).
Results: In acro-DM cats, at screening, blood glucose (BG) was 430 mg/dL (272 - 676). On days 30, 60, 120, and 180, single BG after receiving velagliflozin was 160 (100-355), 134 (64-414), 152 (93-307), and 167 (79-270), respectively. BG at screening in non-acro-DM cats was 435 mg/dL (274-616). On the same recheck days, BG was 152 (62-480), 130 (64 - 414), 123 (55 - 461), and 124 (77 - 384). Day 180, 80 % and 89 % of acro-DM and non-acro-DM cats had a fructosamine within the reference interval, respectively. At day 180, 81 % and 92 % of acro-DM and non-acro-DM cats had improvement in polyuria, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups for glucose or fructosamine (Repeated Measures Mixed Model) or resolution of polyuria (Fisher exact test). Conclusions and clinical importance: Velagliflozin can be effective as a stand-alone oral solution therapy in feline diabetics with underlying hypersomatotropism/ acromegaly.
