WHAT DOCTORS WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT OZEMPIC AND CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic has been linked to a host of potential benefits outside of blood sugar management, including weight loss and helping to break addictions. Ozempic side effects tend to have a negative connotation (as is the case for just about any drug). But the latest one may actually have a positive outcome: Ozempic may help with chronic kidney disease.
Meet the experts: Dina Peralta-Reich, M.D., director of New York Weight Wellness Medicine; Kunal Shah, M.D., an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center; Dusty Price, A.P.R.N.-C.N.P., a certified nurse practitioner with the weight management program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Research into this—and Ozempic in general—is ongoing, making it hard to make definitive conclusions on this. But experts say there is something to the link. Here’s what we know about Ozempic and chronic kidney disease right now.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a brand name for semaglutide. It’s an injectable medication that’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help with blood sugar management in patients with type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide is also FDA-approved for weight management in people with overweight or obesity under the name Wegovy. As a result, Ozempic may be used off-label for weight management, too.
Ozempic works on the body in a few ways, according to Kunal Shah, M.D., an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. It mimics a protein in your body called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), he explains.
“Semaglutide activates GLP-1 receptors in your body, and that causes an increase in the production of insulin,” he says. (Insulin is a hormone that helps escort glucose into your body’s cells, where it’s used for energy.)
But Ozempic also has an impact on your gut and your brain. “Semaglutide slows down the movement of food from the stomach to the gut,” Dr. Shah says. At the same time, it signals to your brain to feel less hungry. So, you may wind up eating less and feeling fuller longer on the medication than you would without it.
People on Ozempic usually start at a low dose of 0.25 milligrams before working their way up to 0.5 milligrams or more, Dr. Shah says. “Most patients start to see weight loss after 0.5 milligrams,” he adds.
Ozempic is a medication that’s typically designed to be taken “indefinitely,” Dr. Shah says.
What is chronic kidney disease?
Chronic kidney disease is a condition that happens when your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood the way they should, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The disease progresses slowly over a long period of time. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney failure are at a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease.
The disease may have no symptoms at first, but as it becomes advanced, the NIDDK says you may notice the following symptoms:
- chest pain
- dry skin
- itching or numbness
- feeling tired
- headaches
- increased or decreased urination
- loss of appetite
- muscle cramps
- nausea
- shortness of breath
- sleep problems
- trouble concentrating
- vomiting
- weight loss
Can Ozempic help with chronic kidney disease?
It seems so. “There are studies that have been done in patients with type 2 diabetes that found that semaglutide reduces the risk of clinically important outcomes and death in patients with chronic kidney disease,” says Dina Peralta-Reich, M.D., director of New York Weight Wellness Medicine.
One clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May followed 3,533 people with kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes. Half of the participants were given a weekly shot of semaglutide; The other half got a weekly placebo shot.
During a follow-up period of about 3.5 years, the researchers found that people in the semaglutide group had a 24% lower chance of having a major kidney disease event, like losing half of their kidney function, needing a transplant, or going on dialysis. According to the findings, 331 people had these kidney events in the semaglutide group, while 410 had them in the placebo group. They also had slower rates of kidney decline. (Worth noting: The participants who received semaglutide were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.)
The trial was so successful that it was stopped early.
Why might Ozempic help with chronic kidney disease?
It’s important to point out that research has just found a link, but experts say it makes sense that semaglutide can help with chronic kidney disease management.
Ozempic “can help those with co-conditions that have led to chronic kidney disease such as diabetes or other cardiovascular diseases,” says Dusty Price, A.P.R.N.-C.N.P., a certified nurse practitioner with the weight management program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Both conditions raise the risk of developing chronic kidney disease and by managing them, it’s possible that semaglutide can also help lower the risk of severe complications from chronic kidney disease, she explains.
“By doing this, [Ozempic] can potentially help to stop or slow down further kidney disease,” Price says.
But Ozempic can also lead to weight loss and lowered inflammation, Dr. Peralta-Reich says. “This is all related to renal health,” she says. “Semaglutide can ultimately can improve kidney health.”
Who could benefit from Ozempic for kidney health?
Again, Ozempic is technically only FDA-approved for blood sugar management in people with type 2 diabetes. However, it’s also used off-label for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
Price says people with a range of conditions may have a boost in kidney health on Ozempic. Those include:
- Hypertension
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Overweight
- Existing chronic kidney disease
“Having chronic kidney disease is not a contraindication when looking at using semaglutide injections which, for those with chronic kidney disease, is often a barrier when trying to use new medications for other co-conditions,” Price says.
If you have chronic kidney disease or are at risk of developing the condition, Peralta-Reich says it’s best to speak with your doctor about your treatment options. Keep in mind that Ozempic is not currently FDA-approved to treat chronic kidney disease, although it may be a good fit if you have another condition that is approved, like type 2 diabetes. Ultimately, it’s best to connect with a medical professional about next steps.
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2024-07-26T14:43:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd