Studies and individual patient reports highlight that the risk of diabetes amputation could be increased for those patients taking the medication Jardiance. Several different diabetes medications have been tied to a higher risk of amputation.

Reports show those people taking SGLT2 inhibitors such as Jardiance were twice as likely to undergo a lower limb amputation when compared with individuals taking another form of a diabetes drug. The risk of a diabetes amputation could have significant impacts for the patient’s overall quality of life.

The same study that identified a higher amputation risk also pointed out that patients had a doubled risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a life-threatening situation that occurs when ketones increase in the bloodstream.

The lead researcher on the project that pointed out the higher risk of diabetes amputation recommended that patients who are already at high risk for having a limb amputated should consider other treatment options.

A 2017 warning from the Food and Drug Administration shared that two different clinical trials had connected these SGLT2 inhibitor drugs with a higher risk of leg and foot amputations. Another condition that can put a patient in a higher risk class for going through at least one amputation is known as diabetic neuropathy.

The clinical trials showing that certain diabetes drugs that increase amputation risk also controlled for other factors that could have influenced this connection. Those other factors included other medicines being taken, disease history, and economic and social conditions of the patients.

The researchers suggested that one of the reason that SGLT2 inhibitors could influence the body in this way is because of the way they work once taken by the patient.

Many people who have been diagnosed with diabetes already struggle with poor circulation in their feet and legs. Since SGLT2 inhibitors lead to higher levels of urine excretion for the purposes of decreased blood sugar, patients might get dehydrated because of the decrease in blood volume. For those patients already in a high risk category for amputation, this makes the problem worse.

VeryWellHealth reports that approximately half of all amputations that occur every single year are due to diabetes-related complications and a diagnosis of diabetes itself. According to the National Institute of Health, lower extremity amputations are the most common occurring around 86,000 per year.

Patients already taking medication for diabetes face the risk of amputation because of the underlying medical condition itself. But as more studies have pointed out the risk of problems with SGLT2 inhibitors, doctors are being encouraged to explore treatment alternatives for many patients. Some of the most common side effects associated with Jardiance are relatively minor.

However, certain patients allege that they were never told about the possibility of a twice-higher risk of lower extremity amputations.

Other less severe side effects of Jardiance include lightheadedness, dizziness or frequent urination. According to WebMD, signs of more serious issues like symptoms of a urinary tract infection or signs of kidney problems should be reported to the patient’s physician right away.