Jardiance side effects may include diabetic amputation, according to a recently published study. This drug is for the treatment of type-2 diabetes (adult onset) and is classified as a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor.

Scandinavian researchers recently completed a study indicating that Jardiance side effects may include as much as double the risk of having to endure amputation of a toe, partial foot, foot, or leg if there are certain preconditions not screened for prior to beginning treatment with these and now all SGLT2 inhibitors, according to WebMD.

Until recently, this risk was not associated with all drugs in the SGLT2 inhibitor class. Canagliflozin, the active ingredient in Invokana and Invokamet, had been associated with a greater incidence of diabetic amputation in reports from the CANVAS and CANVAS-R safety studies—two clinical trials designed to test long term effects of canagliflozin on the body’s cardiovascular and renal systems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had released a warning about canagliflozin but did not then indicate that Jardiance side effects included any uptick in diabetic amputation.

While Jardiance can help control the day-to-day blood glucose fluctuations of the average sufferer of this disease, Jardiance side effects can cause a statistically significant risk for a complication the drug was designed to prevent.

Physicians and patients have been warned about the risk of diabetic amputation associated with canagliflozin, but a similar alert has not been added to the label among Jardiance side effects.

The persons most vulnerable are older males who are significantly above their ideal weight range, or who have a preexisting circulatory compromise such as peripheral artery disease in the lower extremities.

The Scandinavian study enrolled 17,000 patients, a larger portion of whom were placed on Farxiga (dapagliflozin), another SGLT2 inhibitor. Jardiance (empagliflozin) was used with most of the remaining participants, and canagliflozin was employed with a minute number (1 percent).

This base of study is significant, but more research would be necessary to make hard and fast conclusions. Nevertheless, the data should be heeded as a significant warning.

How do SGLT2 Inhibitors Work?

SGLT2 inhibitors work by stopping the kidneys from sending the extra glucose back into the bloodstream in a process known as re-absorption. The extra blood sugar is released through the urine output of the body instead.

Because of this, users need to also be sure to keep a careful watch on their hydration levels. Farxiga and Jardiance side effects have been known to produce stress on the kidneys causing injury, cause a build-up in the blood of acids known as ketones, and contribute to urinary tract infections.

At least two of these three latter side effects can have serious implications if left untreated. Diabetic ketoacidosis can be life-threatening.