Research

Hormonal

Once-weekly semaglutide (1.0 mg) and once-daily liraglutide (up to 1.8 mg) significantly reduce albuminuria and slow the decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes, with effects being more pronounced in patients with preexisting chronic kidney disease (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2).

If you have type 2 diabetes, especially if you have early signs of kidney stress (like reduced eGFR or albuminuria), GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (once weekly) or liraglutide (once daily) can protect your kidneys. They reduce protein in the urine (albuminuria) and slow the loss of kidney function over time. This benefit is particularly strong if your kidney function is already reduced (eGFR <60). Discuss these options with your doctor, as they may offer kidney protection beyond just blood sugar control.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In the pooled analysis, semaglutide/liraglutide lowered albuminuria from baseline to 2 years after randomization by 24% versus placebo... With semaglutide 1.0 mg and liraglutide, eGFR slope decline was significantly slowed... Effects appeared larger in patients with baseline eGFR <60 versus ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2
Ahmed M. Shaman et al. · Circulation · 2021

Why this rating

Pooled analysis of two large, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials (SUSTAIN 6 and LEADER) with over 12,000 patients provides high-quality evidence, though it is a post hoc analysis of secondary outcomes.

Source

Effect of the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Semaglutide and Liraglutide on Kidney Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Pooled Analysis of SUSTAIN 6 and LEADER

Ahmed M. Shaman et al. · Circulation · 2021

DOI 10.1161/circulationaha.121.055459

rct · n=12637Cited 235×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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