A new study found that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic can reduce the risk of worsening kidney health.
GLP-1s are a class of drugs that are known to help manage type 2 diabetes and obesity. They work by mirroring a naturally occurring hormone that increases insulin sensitivity and delays stomach emptying. Now, these same drugs are showing promise in improving kidney function, according to the research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal on November 25.
This is not the first time popular weight loss drugs have shown promise in other areas. Last month, The Dallas Express reported that Ozempic may help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Another study found GLP-1s are linked to lower cancer risk by regulating blood sugar and controlling inflammation levels. In yet another study, GLP-1s were found to help those suffering from alcohol use disorder control their drinking.
The drugs have also been shown to help with knee pain driven by osteoarthritis and have even been found to markedly lower the likelihood of suffering a cardiovascular event.
In the latest findings, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 11 large-scale clinical trials. Those trials involved over 85,000 people taking the weight loss drugs. The group was comprised of individuals with type 2 diabetes as well as those with cardiovascular diseases who were overweight or obese but not diabetic.
GLP-1s were found to cut the risk of kidney failure by 16% compared to a placebo. They were also linked to a 22% reduction in the worsening of kidney function. Overall, the risk of kidney failure, worsening kidney function, and death due to kidney disease was 19% lower in the group taking one of the seven different GLP-1s used in the study.
The authors also again confirmed that these drugs have protective effects when it comes to cardiovascular health, linking them to a 14% drop in the risk of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack, and non-fatal stroke.
“This is the first study to show a clear benefit of GLP-1 receptor agonists on kidney failure or end-stage kidney disease, suggesting they 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 CKD [chronic kidney disease],” said the study’s lead author, Prof Sunil Badve, professorial fellow at the George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Sydney, per the Guardian.
As of 2022, Texas had the 16th-highest rate of kidney disease mortality in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.