February 11, 2026

New research highlights potential heart benefits of GLP-1 medications

People living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face a higher risk of heart-related complications. Reducing this risk is crucial for the long-term health of patients with CKD. Luckily, researchers are increasingly identifying medications that may protect heart health.

New research out of the University of Toronto shows that a class of diabetes medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) may help lower the risk of heart-related complications in people with CKD. Further, it was found to do so regardless of the stage of kidney disease or other medications taken.

In this study, researchers analyzed the health records of nearly 69,000 adults in Ontario. Patients included had reduced kidney function and were newly prescribed a GLP1-RA or another common treatment for blood sugar control. Many patients were also taking other kidney- or heart-protective medications. Altogether, this allowed researchers to only examine the benefits of GLP1-RAs compared to other medications and in addition to other medications.

Overall, GLP1-RAs were found to be beneficial to the kidney and heart health of patients, by themselves and in combination with other medications, like SGLT2 inhibitors. Patients taking GLP1-RAs experienced fewer life-threatening cardiac events, such as heart attacks or strokes. The biggest difference was a decrease in heart-related deaths. Patients on GLP1-RAs had a 28 per cent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular causes compared to those on the other treatment.

GLP1-RAs are an important tool used to control blood sugar. This research demonstrates that they may also offer additional protections against serious heart complications in people with kidney disease. While these results are promising and exciting, further clinical trials are needed to confirm these results on a larger scale. Nevertheless, this groundwork is a meaningful step towards increasing treatment options and strategies for people with CKD to live healthier lives.

This research was supported in part by The Kidney Foundation of Canada.