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Objective: There are uncertainties regarding the association between dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and bullous pemphigoid (BP), a potentially severe autoimmune skin disease. Thus, we conducted a population-based study to determine whether use of DPP-4 inhibitors, when compared with other second- to third-line antidiabetic drugs, is associated with an increased risk of BP in patients with type 2 diabetes.Research Design and Methods: Using the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we conducted a cohort study among 168,774 patients initiating antidiabetic drugs between January 2007 and March 2018. Using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models, we estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs of incident BP associated with current use of DPP-4 inhibitors, compared with current use of other second- to third-line antidiabetic drugs. We also conducted a propensity score-matched analysis to assess the impact of residual confounding.Results: During 711,311 person-years of follow-up, 150 patients were newly diagnosed with BP (crude incidence rate, 21.1 per 100,000 person-years). Current use of DPP-4 inhibitors was associated with an increased risk of BP (47.3 vs. 20.0 per 100,000 person-years; HR 2.21 [95% CI 1.45-3.38]). HRs gradually increased with longer durations of use, reaching a peak after 20 months (HR 3.60 [95% CI 2.11-6.16]). Similar results were obtained in the propensity score-matched analysis (HR 2.40 [95% CI 1.13-4.66]).Conclusions: In this large population-based study, use of DPP-4 inhibitors was associated with an at least doubling of the risk of BP in patients with type 2 diabetes, albeit the absolute risk was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE Sulfonylureas have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events and hypoglycemia, but it is unclear if these risks vary with different agents. We assessed whether the risks of acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, cardiovascular death, all-cause mortality, and severe hypoglycemia differ between sulfonylureas grouped according to pancreas specificity and duration of action. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Using the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink, linked with the Hospital Episodes Statistics and the Office for National Statistics databases, we conducted a cohort study among patients with type 2 diabetes initiating monotherapy with sulfonylureas between 1998 and 2013. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, comparing use of pancreasnonspecific, long-acting sulfonylureas (glyburide/glimepiride) to pancreas-specific, short-acting sulfonylureas (gliclazide/glipizide/tolbutamide). RESULTS The cohort included 17,604 sulfonylurea initiators (mean [SD] follow-up 1.2 [1.5] years). Compared with specific, short-acting sulfonylureas (15,741 initiators), nonspecific, long-acting sulfonylureas (1,863 initiators) were not associated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (HR 0.86; CI 0.55-1.34), ischemic stroke (HR 0.92; CI 0.59-1.45), cardiovascular death (HR 1.01; CI 0.72-1.40), or all-cause mortality (HR 0.81; CI 0.66-1.003), but with an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia (HR 2.83; CI 1.64-4.88). CONCLUSIONS The nonspecific, long-acting sulfonylureas glyburide and glimepiride do not have an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events compared with the specific, shortacting sulfonylureas gliclazide, glipizide, and tolbutamide. However, nonspecific, long-acting sulfonylureas glyburide and glimepiride have an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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