Weight-loss Drug Ozempic Can Benefit Patients With Kidney Diseases

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ozempic to help reduce the risk of serious kidney complications in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney diseases. It is a popular drug which has been previously used to treating diabetes and obesity.

Why Is Ozempic Used For Kidney Diseases?

In the US, 1 in 7 adults are experiencing some type of chronic kidney disease caused by diabetes. The new approval therefore allows doctor to prescribe Ozempic to lower the risk of kidney failure, dialysis and death from heart-related problems too.

Doctors have already been using Ozempic to manage type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of heart diseases in patients with diabetes. Studies have also shown that those who took Ozempic, had a 24$ lower risk of kidney-related complications and could avoid dialysis and or organ transplant. Patients also showed slower rates of kidney decline.

How Does Ozempic Help?

The active ingredient is semaglutide, which is a type of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor against (GLP-1 RA), a drug that mimics a natural hormone which helps to regulate blood sugar. GLP-1 also protects the kidney by improving blood flow, reducing inflammation and preventing damage.

As per the study led by clinical pharmacologist Hiddo L Heerspink of the University Medical Center Geoningen, in the Netherlands, it was the first time when this diabetes drug was used to treat patients with kidney damage. The study was also published in the Nature Medicine journal and presented at the annual congress of the American Society of Nephrology.

Read all about Ozempic here.

The study was conducted in four countries, including Canada, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands and found that protein in urine that indicated kidney damage had reduced by 52% for those who received a shot of semaglutide. Kidney inflammation also decreased by 30%.

This is because the drug has direct effects on inflammation parameters in the kidney and lowers fat tissue around the kidneys.

What Is Ozempic Originally Used For?

Ozempic is originally used to treat Type 2 diabetes. This drug affects the intestinal hormone GLP-1 which is responsible for proper processing of carbohydrates from food. This stimulates insulin release in pancreas and also reduces the feeling of hunger. This also causes food to move slowly from stomach to intestines. It also gives a feeling of fullness for longer, leading to weight loss.

They are also used for various other health issues, including boosting your health. As per a study based on data from the US veterans with type 2 diabetes, these drugs have shown lower rates of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. It has also in fact shown a significant decrease in conditions like schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts, and seizures. The study further found a 12% reduction in Alzheimer's disease, especially in participants taking the drugs for 3.5 years. The drug also reduced bacterial infections, liver cancer and chronic kidney diseases, along with fever and muscle pain.

Not Ozempic, but Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepabound has been previously approved by the FDA as a treatment for moderate-to-severe sleep apnea and obesity.