Liraglutide and Renal Outcomes in Patients with Longstanding Type 2 Diabetes

In the industry-sponsored, placebo-controlled, randomized LEADER trial, treatment with liraglutide (Victoza) lowered the incidence of adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in 9340 patients with longstanding type 2 diabetes, most of whom had known CV disease at baseline (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 15 2016 and N Engl J Med 2016; 375:311). Now, the researchers report renal outcomes. At baseline, participants' mean age was 64, mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) was 8.7%, and mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 80 mL/minute/1.73 m².

During average follow-up of 4 years, incidence of a combined renal endpoint (new-onset persistent macroalbuminuria, doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease, or renal-related death) was signifi…