• Posted February 11, 2025

GLP-1 Meds Can Work Wonders for Kidney Health

Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Trulicity: These and other GLP1-RA diabetes/weight-loss meds can also boost outcomes for folks battling chronic kidney disease, new research shows.

Compared to another common class of kidney medications, called DPP4is, GLP1-RA medications did better in helping slow the progression of kidney disease, keeping kidney disease patients out of the hospital and helping them survive.

“The benefits of GLP1-RA therapy for blood glucose management are well known, but our research provides much-needed evidence in support of the [kidney]-protective effect of GLP1-RAs in high-risk patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease,” said study first author Dr. Shuyao Zhang. She is an assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern in Dallas.

Over the two-year study, Zhang's team followed the medical records of 64,705 veterans with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), half of whom took a DPP4i medication and half of whom took a GLP1-RA.

Folks who took one of the latter class of drugs were 16% less likely to die, 10% less likely to need hospital care and 36% less apt to see their kidney disease progress, compared to patients taking a DPP4i drug, the study found.

“People with diabetes and chronic kidney disease have a very high risk of complications" such as low blood sugar, infections or cardiovascular events, study co-senior author Dr. Ildiko Lingvay noted. 

“Yet this population is much less likely to be included in clinical trials or be treated with medications that have proven benefits," said Lingvay, a professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern. 

"Our findings demonstrate that GLP1-RAs can lead to fewer cardiovascular events, less progression of kidney disease, and lower health care costs," she added in a university news release. "These are very impactful outcomes that support the widespread benefits of this class of medications in this high-risk population.” 

Zhang agreed, saying it's possible that the data could help change practice.

“Historically, diabetic kidney disease has been difficult to address,” Zhang concluded. 

“With further research, we could eventually see new guidelines that include GLP1-RAs as part of a comprehensive treatment approach for diabetes-related kidney disease, potentially improving long-term outcomes and enhancing patient quality of life,” she added.

The findings were published recently in Nature Communications.

More information

Find out more about chronic kidney disease at the Mayo Clinic.

SOURCE: UT Southwestern, news release, Feb. 10, 2025