Managing Chronic Kidney Disease with Empagliflozin
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on March 17th, 2025
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Empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that is commonly prescribed to manage type 2 diabetes. Independent of the glycemic control effect, previous study had found that SGLT 2 inhibitors can alleviate glomerular hypertension and improve renal function. With funding from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, a recent study explored the usage of empagliflozin in managing chronic kidney disease.
The clinical study enrolled 6,609 participants with a mean age of 63, all diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Baseline renal assessments showed an average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 36.9 and a mean urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of approximately 210. Additionally, about 40% of the cohort had diabetes, and 25% had cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily 10 mg dose of empagliflozin or a placebo. After a median treatment period of 2 years and a subsequent 2-year follow-up period, the researchers found that empagliflozin reduced the risk of kidney disease progression by 21% and cardiovascular-related death by 25%. Further analysis revealed that the benefits of empagliflozin persisted for around 12 months after treatment cessation and were most pronounced in patients with an eGFR below 30.
The clinical study enrolled 6,609 participants with a mean age of 63, all diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Baseline renal assessments showed an average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 36.9 and a mean urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of approximately 210. Additionally, about 40% of the cohort had diabetes, and 25% had cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily 10 mg dose of empagliflozin or a placebo. After a median treatment period of 2 years and a subsequent 2-year follow-up period, the researchers found that empagliflozin reduced the risk of kidney disease progression by 21% and cardiovascular-related death by 25%. Further analysis revealed that the benefits of empagliflozin persisted for around 12 months after treatment cessation and were most pronounced in patients with an eGFR below 30.