United States: Research reveals that Ozempic, among other GLP-1 drugs, helps kidney transplant patients survive longer and maintain organ function successfully.
More about the news
Extensive research has demonstrated how GLP-1 drugs enable effective diabetes management and weight reduction, hence improving transplant success rates, according to investigators.
Patients undergoing kidney transplants who received GLP-1 drugs maintained a 49% reduction rate of experiencing organ failure leading to discontinued dialysis, the findings of which were reported on March 3 in the Lancet.
The experts suggested that GLP-1 drug users experienced 31% fewer fatalities throughout the five-year time period after initial medication usage, as US News reported.
What are the experts stating?
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Babak Orandi, “Our study results are the strongest evidence to date that GLP-1 agonist drugs are largely safe and effective tools for addressing type 2 diabetes in kidney transplant recipients,” US News reported.
The man-made medication GLP-1 imitates the GLP-1 hormone to control blood sugar and insulin levels and diminishes hunger feelings while slowing food digestion.
The market provides semaglutide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide medications, which are distributed under the names Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Victoza, and Trulicity.
Scientists confirmed that high diabetes and obesity levels can shorten the lifespan of kidney transplants, according to research findings.
Because of this information, it becomes logical that GLP-1 drugs would be beneficial. The known drug side effects that involve pancreatic inflammation alongside liver complications potentially oppose the benefits of kidney transplantation, according to research findings.
The usage of GLP-1 drugs has raised questions about whether they build risks for thyroid cancer development in people with transplanted kidneys who need immune-suppressing medication for rejection prevention, according to research findings.
Risks and benefits analysis
The medical records of more than 18,000 kidney transplant recipients with diabetes received analysis between 2013 and 2020 to assess the benefits and risks of the drugs.
Research showed that GLP-1 drugs had been prescribed to 1,900 patients among the total 18,000 patients studied.
Research results demonstrated advantages yet revealed the presence of certain safety risks related to the drugs.
Studies revealed that kidney transplant patients who used GLP-1 drugs elevated their probability of diabetic retinopathy development by 49 percent, which represents a blindness-causing eye disorder due to back tissue damage.
Furthermore, as per the senior investigator, Mara McAdams-DeMarco, “Our findings also show that while the benefits of GLP-1 drugs are significant, their use does come with some added risk of diabetic retinopathy, suggesting that physicians need to carefully monitor the eye health of kidney transplant recipients with diabetes who are started on these drugs.”