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GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are shielding the kidneys from harm, even as they help ease diabetes and obesity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Folks taking the meds have significantly lower odds for kidney failure<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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The drugs also appear to have big heart health benefits<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The potential health benefits of GLP-1 diabetes and weight loss meds keep piling up: New research shows they may also shield your kidneys from harm.<\/p>\n
In the largest study to date on the effects of the drugs on the kidneys, researchers found GLP-1s help the protect the organs in people with or without diabetes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
GLP-1s include blockbuster diabetes medicines such as Ozempic and its weight-loss spinoff, Wegovy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first study to show a clear benefit of GLP-1 receptor agonists on kidney failure or end-stage kidney disease,” said study lead author Dr. Sunil Badve<\/a>, a kidney specialist and professorial fellow at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia.<\/p>\n
The study suggests that GLP-1s “have a key role in kidney-protective and heart-protective treatment for patients with common medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity with cardiovascular disease, or chronic kidney disease,” he said in a news release.<\/p>\n
The research was published Nov. 25 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
Badve and colleagues conducted what’s called a meta-analysis — a large review of data from multiple studies, in this case 11 large-scale clinical trials of GLP-1s involving more than 85,000 people in all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Close to 68,000 had type 2 diabetes, while just over 17,600 were overweight or obese with heart disease but did not have type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
The GLP-1 medicines taken during the trials included semaglutide (Ozempic<\/a> or Wegovy)<\/a>, dulaglutide (Trulicity<\/a>) and liraglutide (Victoza<\/a>).<\/p>\n
Kidney health improved among people taking the drugs, the study found.<\/p>\n
For example, use of a GLP-1\u00a0 cut a patient’s odds of kidney failure by 16% and a worsening of their kidney function by 22%, Budve and team reported.\u00a0 These improvements were defined as “a drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate — a measure of how much blood the kidneys filter clean every minute — of at least 50%,” according to the news release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese results are particularly important for patients with chronic kidney disease,” Badve said. “It is a progressive condition eventually leading to kidney failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation and is associated with premature death, mostly from heart disease. It has a significant impact on patients\u2019 quality of life and incurs substantial healthcare costs.”<\/p>\n
People’s hearts benefited, too: Use of a GLP-1 cut a person’s odds for a combination outcome of heart-related death, non-fatal heart attacks<\/a> and non-fatal strokes by 14%, compared to folks taking a placebo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In fact, GLP-1 use was linked to a 13% reduction in a person’s risk of premature death from any cause, the research showed.<\/p>\n
“Our study will have a major impact on clinical guidelines for the management of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease in people with and without diabetes,” said study co-author Dr. Vlado Perkovic<\/a>, also a professorial fellow at The George Institute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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