Research
Mixed
The kidney benefits of semaglutide are largely mediated by weight loss, although direct GLP-1 receptor effects on the kidney may also contribute.
While semaglutide has direct kidney-protective properties, most of its benefit comes from the weight loss it induces. Therefore, maintaining weight loss is crucial for sustaining kidney protection.
GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
However, a mediation analysis suggested that 81% (95% CI 41.30, 120) of the change in eGFR was attributable to change in body weight with considerable imprecision in the estimate.
Why this rating
Mediation analysis was exploratory and had considerable imprecision.
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
- 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.Strong
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
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