People living with type 2 diabetes often face serious health risks, and one of the most dangerous complications is chronic kidney disease.
When diabetes and kidney disease occur together, the chances of kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, and early death increase sharply.
For many years, doctors have relied on the same treatment to protect kidney function, but progress has been slow. Now, a major new study from Stanford University offers fresh hope.
Researchers found that a medication called canagliflozin can greatly reduce the risk of kidney failure in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. This drug belongs to a newer class of medicines known as SGLT2 inhibitors, which help the body remove extra glucose through urine.
While canagliflozin is already approved by the FDA for lowering blood sugar and reducing heart complications in people with diabetes, this new research shows that it may also protect the kidneys in powerful and life‑saving ways.
The study included 4,401 participants from 34 different countries. Every participant received the best standard care available for kidney disease, known as RAAS blockade therapy. This therapy has been the main treatment for nearly 20 years.
To test whether canagliflozin could offer added benefits, researchers randomly assigned half of the volunteers to take canagliflozin and the other half to take a placebo. Then they tracked their health outcomes over time.
The results were remarkable. People who took canagliflozin had a 30% lower risk of developing kidney failure or dying from kidney or heart problems compared to the group that received the placebo.
Even more striking, the risk of kidney failure or death directly caused by kidney problems dropped by 34% in the group taking the medication. These are meaningful improvements for a condition where treatment options have been limited for decades.
The study also found heart‑related benefits. Participants taking canagliflozin had a 31% lower risk of being hospitalized for heart failure or dying from heart‑related causes.
This is especially important because people with diabetes and kidney disease are very vulnerable to serious heart problems. Improving kidney health while also protecting the heart makes canagliflozin a promising therapy for a wide range of risks linked to diabetes.
The researchers explained that canagliflozin works by helping the kidneys remove more glucose from the body. This helps lower blood sugar, reduces the strain on the kidneys, and may improve how the body manages fluids and blood pressure. These effects likely contribute to the lower rates of kidney failure and heart disease seen in the study.
Doctors have been waiting for a breakthrough like this for a long time. While RAAS therapy has been helpful, it has not been enough to fully protect patients with both diabetes and kidney disease. This new evidence shows that canagliflozin could become an important added treatment for millions of people around the world.
For patients living with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, the findings bring a new sense of hope. A medication that can slow or prevent kidney failure means a better chance at living longer and avoiding the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant. It also means fewer hospitalizations, fewer heart complications, and a better quality of life.
This study is a major step forward in the fight against diabetic kidney disease. With treatments like canagliflozin, patients now have a stronger tool to protect their kidneys and improve their overall health. As research continues, more people may soon benefit from this life‑changing therapy.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and to people with diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
For more health information, please see recent studies that low calorie diets may help reverse diabetes, and 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes.
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