Long-term kidney outcomes of semaglutide in obesity and cardiovascular disease in the SELECT trial.
Nat Med · 2024
Last updated 2026-05-28In a study of 17,604 adults with overweight or obesity and heart disease but without diabetes, those taking semaglutide (2.4 mg once weekly) had a 22% lower risk of serious kidney problems compared to those on a placebo over about two years. The risk of kidney issues like kidney failure or large drops in kidney function was 1.8% with semaglutide versus 2.2% with placebo. The drug also slowed the decline in kidney function slightly more than the placebo.
AI summary of the abstract below.
| Journal | Nat Med, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Citations | 158 |
| Relative citation ratio | 30.56 |
| NIH percentile | 100 |
| Molecules | semaglutide |
| Conditions studied | Obesity, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Chronic Kidney Disease |
Abstract
The SELECT trial previously reported a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events with semaglutide (n = 8,803) versus placebo (n = 8,801) in patients with overweight/obesity and established cardiovascular disease, without diabetes. In the present study, we examined the effect of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg on kidney outcomes in the SELECT trial. The incidence of the pre-specified main composite kidney endpoint (death from kidney disease, initiation of chronic kidney replacement therapy, onset of persistent estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 15 ml min 1.73 m, persistent ≥50% reduction in eGFR or onset of persistent macroalbuminuria) was lower with semaglutide (1.8%) versus placebo (2.2%): hazard ratio (HR) = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63, 0.96; P = 0.02. The treatment benefit at 104 weeks for eGFR was 0.75 ml min 1.73 m (95% CI 0.43, 1.06; P < 0.001) overall and 2.19 ml min 1.73 m (95% CI 1.00, 3.38; P < 0.001) in patients with baseline eGFR <60 ml min 1.73 m. These results suggest a benefit of semaglutide on kidney outcomes in individuals with overweight/obesity, without diabetes.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03574597 .
Verbatim abstract via PubMed 38796653 ↗
Related research
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity.
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes.
- A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Subcutaneous Semaglutide in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.
- Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Oral Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Semaglutide in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity.