Empagliflozin lowers serum uric acid in chronic kidney disease: exploratory analyses from the EMPA-KIDNEY trial.
Mayne KJ., Sardell RJ., Staplin N., Judge PK., Zhu D., Sammons E., Cherney DZI., Green JB., Levin A., Pontremoli R., Hauske SJ., Emberson J., Preiss D., Landray MJ., Baigent C., Wanner C., Haynes R., Herrington WG., EMPA-KIDNEY Collaborative Group None.
BACKGROUND: Hyperuricaemia and gout are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to assess the effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibition on uric acid (urate) and gout in patients with CKD. METHODS: The EMPA-KIDNEY trial randomised 6609 patients with CKD to receive either empagliflozin 10 mg daily or matching placebo over a median of 2 years of follow-up. Serum uric acid was measured at randomisation then at 2 and 18 months of follow-up and the effects of empagliflozin were analysed using a pre-specified mixed model repeated measures approach. Participant-reported gout events were analysed in Cox regression models (first events) with the Andersen-Gill extension (total events). A post hoc composite outcome included new initiation of uric acid-lowering therapy or colchicine. EMPA-KIDNEY primary and kidney disease progression outcomes were also assessed in subgroups of baseline serum uric acid. RESULTS: Baseline mean ± standard deviation serum uric acid concentration was 431 ± 114 µmol/l. Allocation to empagliflozin resulted in a study-average between-group difference in serum uric acid of -25.6 µmol/l [95% confidence interval (CI) -30.3 to -21.0], with larger effects in those with higher eGFR (trend P