Contrast-induced Acute Kidney Injury in Diabetic Patients and SGLT-2 Inhibitors: A Preventive Opportunity or Promoting Element?

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a serious complication in patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures that require contrast use and negatively affects the long-term outcomes. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), particularly those who have already developed diabetic nephropathy (DN), are more susceptible to contrast-induced renal damage. Indeed, contrast media amplify some pathological molecular and cellular pathways already in place in the DN setting. In recent years, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have triggered a paradigm shift in managing patients with type 2 DM, reducing cardiovascular and renal adverse events, and slowing DN development. Some evidence also suggests favorable effects of SGLT2i on acute kidney injury despite the initial alarm; however, little data exist regarding CI-AKI. The present review provides an updated overview of the most recent experimental and clinical studies investigating the beneficial effects of SGLT2i on chronic and acute renal injury, focusing on their potential role in the development of CI-AKI. Thus, we aimed to expand the clinicians' understanding by underscoring new opportunities to prevent this complication in the setting of DM, where effective preventive strategies are still lacking.