Research
Hormonal
Semaglutide 2.4 mg slows the rate of eGFR decline and reduces albuminuria (UACR) in patients with overweight/obesity, with greater benefits observed in those with baseline eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m².
For patients with existing kidney impairment (eGFR <60), semaglutide not only slows further decline but may actually improve eGFR readings compared to placebo. It also significantly reduces albuminuria (protein in urine), a key marker of kidney stress. This benefit is consistent across subgroups.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
In the subgroup with eGFR <60 ml min−1 1.73 m−2 at baseline, there was a rise in eGFR that was greater with semaglutide (5.28 ml min−1 1.73 m−2) versus placebo (3.09 ml min−1 1.73 m−2) at 104 weeks (treatment difference: 2.19 ml min−1 1.73 m−2; 95% CI 1.00, 3.38; P < 0.001).
Why this rating
Large RCT with pre-specified continuous endpoint analysis.
Source
Long-term kidney outcomes of semaglutide in obesity and cardiovascular disease in the SELECT trial
Helen M. Colhoun et al. · Nature Medicine · 2024
DOI 10.1038/s41591-024-03015-5
rct · n=17604Cited 193×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg reduces the risk of major kidney composite endpoints (including macroalbuminuria and persistent eGFR decline) in patients with overweight/obesity and established cardiovascular disease, regardless of diabetes status.Strong
- The kidney benefits of semaglutide are largely mediated by weight loss, although direct GLP-1 receptor effects on the kidney may also contribute.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
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- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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