Key Takeaways
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are shielding the kidneys from harm, even as they help ease diabetes and obesityFolks taking the meds have significantly lower odds for kidney failureThe drugs also appear to have big heart health benefits
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.
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.
GLP-1s include blockbuster diabetes medicines such as Ozempic and its weight-loss spinoff, Wegovy.
"This 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 kidney specialist and professorial fellow at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia.
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.
The research was published Nov. 25 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
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.
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.
The GLP-1 medicines taken during the trials included semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy), dulaglutide (Trulicity) and liraglutide (Victoza).
Kidney health improved among people taking the drugs, the study found.
For example, use of a GLP-1 cut a patient's odds of kidney failure by 16% and a worsening of their kidney function by 22%, Budve and team reported. 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.
"These 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' quality of life and incurs substantial healthcare costs."
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 and non-fatal strokes by 14%, compared to folks taking a placebo.
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.
"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, also a professorial fellow at The George Institute.
More information
Find out more about how GLP-1 medicines work at the Cleveland Clinic.
SOURCE: George Institute for Global Health, news release, Nov. 25, 2024
What This Means For You
A big review of collected data shows that the GLP-1 medicine you might be taking is protecting your kidneys, too.
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