Diabetes drug slows kidney function decline

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, Ph.D., 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"