Can a Diabetes Medication Protect Kidneys and Reduce Heart Risks in Chronic Kidney Disease?

Jasmine C

06 Aug 2025 — 2 min read

Doctor and Patient

What Did the Research Discover?

Researchers studied whether semaglutide, a medication commonly used for diabetes, could help protect kidney function and reduce heart-related risks in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study included 3,533 participants who were randomly assigned to receive either semaglutide or a placebo. The participants were followed for an average of 3.4 years to monitor kidney and heart health outcomes.

The study found that patients who received semaglutide had a 24% lower risk of major kidney disease events compared to those who received a placebo. Semaglutide also lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular causes, slowed kidney function decline, and reduced the overall risk of major cardiovascular events. Additionally, fewer serious side effects were reported in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group.

These findings suggest that semaglutide may be a beneficial treatment option for patients with type 2 diabetes and CKD by protecting the kidneys and lowering the risk of heart-related complications.

How Can I Apply This Information?

If you have type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, this study suggests that semaglutide may help reduce the risk of kidney failure and heart-related death. If you are already taking medications for diabetes and kidney disease, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether semaglutide could be a good addition to your treatment plan.

For healthcare providers, these results highlight semaglutide as a potential option for improving outcomes in patients with both type 2 diabetes and CKD. With its kidney-protective and heart-protective benefits, semaglutide may help slow disease progression and improve long-term survival.

More research may be needed to explore the long-term benefits of semaglutide, but this study provides strong evidence that it can be an effective treatment for reducing serious health risks in this high-risk patient population.

Source:

Perkovic V, Tuttle KR, Rossing P, Mahaffey KW, Mann JF, Bakris G, Baeres FM, Idorn T, Bosch-Traberg H, Lausvig NL, Pratley R. Effects of semaglutide on chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024 Jul 11;391(2):109-21. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38785209/

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