Empagliflozin for the Treatment of Postprandial Hypoglycemia

Postprandial hypoglycemia is a debilitating medical complication after bariatric surgery for which no approved pharmacological treatment exists. The prevalence of hypoglycemia in bariatric patients ranges from 0.5 % severe episodes up to 56 % and its symptoms range from asymptomatic to deleterious. This hypoglycemic condition is characterized by a rapid increase of plasma glucose after carbohydrate ingestion followed by an exaggerated hyperinsulinemic response. Hypoglycemia itself may lead to increased hunger, carbohydrate ingestion and following weight regain. In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover study, the SGLT2-inhibitor empagliflozin statistically significantly reduced the number of symptomatic hypoglycemia (2 vs. 7 symptomatic hypoglycemic episodes; p=0.013) compared to placebo after a mixed meal test in 12 patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Empagliflozin reduced the postprandial rise in glycemia and decreased subsequent insulin secretion, underlining the postulated mechanism of action. This randomized trial is to test whether a treatment with empagliflozin is superior to placebo in patients with postprandial hypoglycemia after bariatric surgery, that is if it improves health related quality of life (mentally or physically) or reduces the risk of hypoglycemic events.