In a comparative study evaluating SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 medications, the former drug class was associated with lower risk of chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury.
The study, published Jan. 20 in JAMA, analyzed the comparative effectiveness of both Type 2 diabetes medication classes in reducing acute and chronic kidney outcomes. No randomized clinical trial had directly compared SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1s before, the researchers said.
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors — which include Jardiance, Farxiga and Steglatro — outpaced glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists — such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. The study analyzed clinical outcomes from more than 36,000 individuals who initiated SGLT2 therapy and nearly 19,000 who initiated GLP-1 treatment in Denmark between 2014 and 2020.
The researchers calculated a weighted five-year risk of chronic kidney disease for both patient populations, finding a 6.7% risk for the SGLT2 inhibitor group and an 8.2% risk for the GLP-1 cohort. Additionally, in the SGLT2 group, 25.2 per 100 individuals experienced acute kidney injury within five years, compared to 28.7 per 100 individuals in the GLP-1 group.
Initiation of GLP-1 therapy was associated with lower rates of albuminuria and mortality than SGLT2s, the study found.
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