“Weight-loss” jabs could protect against kidney disease, as well as heart attacks and diabetes, a major study has found.
Research on more than 3,500 people that was followed up for more than three years found the injections appear to have a “profound clinical impact” on a host of common diseases.
Those on the weekly jabs had the risk of death from all causes fall by 20 per cent.
Experts said that widespread rollout of injections could make a significant difference to NHS bills and the burden on the economy.
Obesity costs the NHS about £6.5 billion annually, with the estimated cost to the economy close to £100 billion a year.
Clear links between obesity and kidney disease have long been established, with excess weight found to double the chance of kidney stones and increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.
The latest findings involve semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic for treatment of diabetes and at a different dose as Wegovy for weight loss.
Last week, scientists found the jabs had an astonishing impact on cardiac health, cutting the risk of heart death by a fifth.
The new research, which was carried out on patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, shows an impact across a host of diseases.
‘Profound clinical impact’
About one in 10 people in the UK suffer from chronic kidney disease, with risk rising with age. It can require kidney replacement and prove deadly.
Overall participants on the jabs saw a 24 per cent fall in their risk of kidney problems, or death from cardiovascular problems or kidney causes.
Deaths from cardiovascular causes fell by 29 per cent, while all-cause mortality fell by 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, the risk of major heart events, such as heart attacks and strokes, fell by 18 per cent in the study, which involved patients with an average age of 66.
Scientists presenting the results at the ERA (European Renal Association) Congress in Stockholm said the landmark findings showed a “profound clinical impact”.
Further research on 17,000 heart patients that is due to be published on Saturday will show the impact of the jabs on the kidneys in patients without diabetes.
Excitement is mounting in the field, with evidence suggesting the injections could even help those who are already suffering from organ impairment.
The latest results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, follow “game-changing” findings last week on the impact of the jabs on heart disease.
Experts said that the latest study, which involved those on weekly jabs for two years with follow up for 3.4 years, showed the potential of the injections to protect overweight and obese patients from a host of chronic diseases.
Last week, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, committed to rolling out weight-loss jabs because of their potential not only for treating obesity, but also to tackle wider health conditions
‘Findings offer great promise’
Currently, NHS prescribing of the jabs has been very limited, with patients only eligible if they have attended specialist weight-loss clinics for at least 12 months.
The Treasury is interested in the case for a far wider rollout of jabs, with mounting evidence about the impact of obesity on the economy.
Last week, research found that obese workers are up to twice as likely to be off sick, compared with those of healthy weight.
Prof Vlado Perkovic, the study’s lead author from the University of New South Wales, said that the latest findings show “great promise”.
He said: “The use of semaglutide in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease can lower the risk of major kidney outcomes and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, cardiovascular death and all-cause death.
“These benefits signify a profound clinical impact saving kidneys, hearts and lives, for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Additionally, the reassuring safety findings further support the strong potential value of semaglutide in this population.
“These findings offer great promise in reshaping treatment strategies for individuals at high risk of diabetes-related complications, offering a new avenue for kidney and cardiovascular protection.”
Prof Jason Halford, the president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity until earlier this month, said that the jabs could make a major difference not just in reducing weight but in preventing a swathe of diseases.
He said: “We are now seeing a growing body of evidence showing that injections which were first designed to tackle type two diabetes are actually showing a dramatic impact on a wide range of chronic diseases.”
“There is a clear link between obesity and a variety of medical conditions including kidney disease, along with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
This data clearly shows the benefits of obesity medicines in not only reducing body mass but also the incidence of these diseases. This will be a benefit to the NHS and the wider economy.”
