Diabetes drug slows kidney function decline

Highlights

• Results from a recent clinical trial indicate that the diabetes drug dapagliflozin slows kidney function decline in patients with chronic kidney disease, regardless of whether they have diabetes.
• Results from the study will be presented online at ASN Kidney Week 2021 November 4–November 7.

Newswise — San Diego (November 5, 2021) — Clinical trial data reveal that dapagliflozin— a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor prescribed to treat diabetes—reduces the rate of kidney function decline in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).  The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2021 November 4–November 7.

The DAPA-CKD trial randomized 4,304 participants with CKD to dapagliflozin 10 mg or placebo once daily, added to standard care.

Although participants without diabetes also experienced a slower rate of kidney function decline with dapagliflozin, the effect of dapagliflozin was greater in those with diabetes.

“The key conclusion is that dapagliflozin is an effective treatment to slow progressive kidney function loss in patients with CKD with and without type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Hiddo Lambers Heerspink, PhD, PharmD, of the University Medical Center Groningen. “Therefore, in addition to reducing the risk of heart failure or mortality, as previously shown in the DAPA-CKD trial, dapagliflozin also slows the progression of kidney function decline.” 

Study: “The effect of dapagliflozin on rate of kidney function decline in patients with chronic kidney disease: a prespecified analysis from the DAPA-CKD”

ASN Kidney Week 2021, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for nephrologists and other kidney health professionals to discuss the latest findings in research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney diseases and related disorders.

Since 1966, ASN has been creating a world without kidney diseases by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world. ASN has more than 21,000 members representing 131 countries. For more information, visit www.asn-online.org.

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