Key clinical point: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who used sulfonylurea were at a higher risk for ventricular arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death (VA/SCD) compared with those who used metformin, irrespective of the severity of diabetes or history of coronary heart disease.
Major finding: Patients receiving sulfonylurea vs metformin had a significantly higher risk for VA/SCD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.90; 95% CI 1.73-2.08), with the results being consistent in both insulin users (HR 1.82; 95% CI 1.52-2.18) and nonusers (HR 1.92; 95% CI 1.73-2.13) and patients with (HR 1.64; 95% CI 1.34-2.02) and without (HR 1.95; 95% CI 1.76-2.16) coronary heart disease.
Study details: Findings are from a population-based cohort study including patients with T2D receiving metformin (n = 16,596) who were matched with those receiving sulfonylurea (n = 16,596) using propensity score matching.
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no competing interests.
Source: Lee TTL et al. Sulfonylurea is associated with higher risks of ventricular arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death compared with metformin: A population-based cohort study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(18):e026289 (Sep 14). Doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.026289