A new study shows that a drug called semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic, significantly cuts the risk of serious kidney issues, major heart events, and death in individuals with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Diabetes is a major cause of kidney disease, which is one of the leading causes of death both in the U.S. and worldwide. About one-third of those with diabetes also battle chronic kidney disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study revealed that semaglutide injections can lower the risk of severe complications from diabetic kidney disease by about 24%. These complications include serious declines in kidney function, complete kidney failure, and deaths related to kidney or heart problems. Specifically, these critical health issues occurred 331 times in the group receiving semaglutide, compared to 410 times in those given a placebo. This means there were 5.8 events per 100 years of follow-up for semaglutide users versus 7.5 events for the placebo group.
The participants were monitored for an average of about 3½ years. Although the trial was initially planned to last four or five years, it was stopped early due to encouraging results at a midway review, as recommended by an independent monitoring committee.
