Advances in sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for improving skeletal muscle metabolism and function

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are guideline-recommended medications for type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic heart failure. Increasing attention is being paid to the effects of SGLT2is on body composition, including adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, with particular emphasis on the latter. SGLT2is improve skeletal muscle function through multiple mechanisms: enhancing glucose, fatty acid, and amino acid metabolism in skeletal muscle; suppressing the expression of atrophy pathway-related molecules; and alleviating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in skeletal muscle. Collectively, these findings provide clinicians with novel diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives for managing elderly patients with chronic diseases accompanied by skeletal muscle atrophy.