17 September 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : Newer diabetes medicines are increasingly being studied for benefits that go beyond blood-sugar control, with research showing that some drugs can reduce the risk of kidney disease progression in certain people with type 2 diabetes.
The evidence is particularly strong for some SGLT2 inhibitors and the GLP-1 drug semaglutide, although the benefits vary by medicine, patient profile and existing kidney disease. The American Diabetes Association’s 2026 standards recommend glucose-lowering medicines with demonstrated kidney benefits for people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Why Diabetes Can Damage the Kidneys
Diabetes is a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease.
Persistently high blood glucose can damage the small blood vessels and filtering structures inside the kidneys. Over time, this can lead to increased leakage of protein into the urine and a gradual decline in kidney function.
For people with diabetes who already have kidney disease, preventing further loss of kidney function is therefore an important part of treatment.
SGLT2 Inhibitors Have Established Kidney Benefits
SGLT2 inhibitors are one of the major drug classes with demonstrated kidney-protective effects.
According to the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Standards of Care, people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease should use an SGLT2 inhibitor with demonstrated benefits to reduce kidney-disease progression and cardiovascular events. These medicines can reduce pressure inside the kidney’s filtering units and lower albuminuria, among other effects.
Semaglutide Shows Kidney Benefits Too
Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist used in medicines including Ozempic, has also produced encouraging kidney results.
In the FLOW trial, which included 3,533 people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, semaglutide reduced the risk of clinically important kidney outcomes. Researchers also found that kidney function declined more slowly among patients receiving semaglutide.
The trial reported a 24% reduction in the combined risk of major kidney and cardiovascular outcomes, compared with placebo.
The Benefits Are Not the Same for Every Patient
The findings do not mean that every person with diabetes will automatically gain kidney protection from a newer medicine.
Treatment decisions depend on factors including kidney function, cardiovascular disease, other medical conditions, existing medications and the specific drug being considered.
The ADA therefore recommends selecting medicines according to an individual’s diabetes and chronic-kidney-disease profile.
What About Tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide, a newer medicine that acts on both GIP and GLP-1 pathways, is also being investigated for kidney-related benefits.
The ADA notes that there is not yet a published randomized controlled trial demonstrating kidney outcomes for tirzepatide. However, a trial involving people with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity found that tirzepatide reduced albuminuria without adverse changes in eGFR compared with placebo.
Researchers caution that the trial included relatively few participants with substantially reduced kidney function, so its findings should not be interpreted as proof that tirzepatide prevents kidney failure.
Kidney Protection Could Change Diabetes Care
The expanding evidence around kidney and cardiovascular benefits is changing how doctors think about diabetes medicines.
Instead of focusing solely on how effectively a drug lowers blood glucose, treatment choices increasingly consider whether a medicine can also reduce complications affecting the heart and kidneys.