Cited by 3,655Chronic Kidney Disease and DiabetesDiabetes Treatment and ManagementAcute Kidney Injury Research

Empagliflozin and Progression of Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes

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Wanner, Christoph, Inzucchi, Silvio E., Lachin, John M., Fitchett, David, von Eynatten, Maximilian, Mattheus, Michaela, Johansen, Odd Erik, Woerle, Hans J. +2 more·2016·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Diabetes confers an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular and renal events. In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular events. We wanted to determine the long-term renal effects of empagliflozin, an analysis that was a prespecified component of the secondary microvascular outcome of that trial. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and an estimated glomerular filtration rate of at least 30 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area to receive either empagliflozin (at a dose of 10 mg or 25 mg) or placebo once daily. Prespecified renal outcomes included incident or worsening nephropathy (progression to macroalbuminuria, doubling of the serum creatinine level, initiation of renal-replacement therapy, or death from renal disease) and incident albuminuria. RESULTS: Incident or worsening nephropathy occurred in 525 of 4124 patients (12.7%) in the empagliflozin group and in 388 of 2061 (18.8%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio in the empagliflozin group, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 0.70; P<0.001). Doubling of the serum creatinine level occurred in 70 of 4645 patients (1.5%) in the empagliflozin group and in 60 of 2323 (2.6%) in the placebo group, a significant relative risk reduction of 44%. Renal-replacement therapy was initiated in 13 of 4687 patients (0.3%) in the empagliflozin group and in 14 of 2333 patients (0.6%) in the placebo group, representing a 55% lower relative risk in the empagliflozin group. There was no significant between-group difference in the rate of incident albuminuria. The adverse-event profile of empagliflozin in patients with impaired kidney function at baseline was similar to that reported in the overall trial population. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, empagliflozin was associated with slower progression of kidney disease and lower rates of clinically relevant renal events than was placebo when added to standard care. (Funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company Diabetes Alliance; EMPA-REG OUTCOME ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01131676.).

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Crossref · 10.1056/nejmoa1515920

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  • SGLT2i use in T2D reduces AKI risk by 25%.

    “Additionally, the risk of AKI is actually reduced by 25% with SGLT2i use in persons with T2D.461”

    From American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update. (2022) · cites this paper as [461]

    The Safety and Adverse Events section reports fewer events consistent with acute renal failure, including AKI, in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group. It does not report a 25% reduction in AKI risk, and this trial studied empagliflozin in people with T2D at high cardiovascular risk, not SGLT2 inhibitors as a class. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • SGLT2is and GLP-1RAs have demonstrated benefits in preventing deleterious cardiorenal endpoints among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

    “In recent years, sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonists (GLP-1RAs) have demonstrated benefits in preventing deleterious cardiorenal endpoints among individuals with type 2 diabetes, shifting disease management from a glucocentric approach to one that prioritises long-term cardiorenal health [5–7].”

    From Racial and ethnic disparities in the uptake of SGLT2is and GLP-1RAs among Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes and heart failure, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, 2013–2019 (2025) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Renal Outcomes section reports fewer kidney events with empagliflozin than with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes, and the Cardiovascular Outcomes section reports a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. The paper concerns one SGLT2 inhibitor in patients at high cardiovascular risk; it does not establish benefits for GLP-1RAs or a shift in disease-management priorities. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • SGLT2 inhibitors reduce renal tubular glucose reabsorption, weight, systemic blood pressure, intraglomerular pressure, and albuminuria and slow GFR loss through mechanisms that appear independent of glycemia.

    “For example, SGLT2 inhibitors reduce renal tubular glucose reabsorption, weight, systemic blood pressure, intraglomerular pressure, and albuminuria and slow GFR loss through mechanisms that appear independent of glycemia (31,(89)(90)(91)(92).”

    From 11. Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025 (2025) · cites this paper as [31]

    The introduction (p. 324) says empagliflozin reduces renal glucose reabsorption and is associated with lower weight and blood pressure; it reports reduced intraglomerular pressure in patients with type 1 diabetes. The Renal Outcomes and Renal Function over Time sections report less progression to macroalbuminuria and slower long-term eGFR decline with empagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes. The paper does not establish that these renal effects occur independently of glycemia, and its findings on empagliflozin do not establish the full claim for SGLT2 inhibitors as a class. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Concern that SGLT2 inhibitors may promote AKI through volume depletion has not been found to be true in randomized controlled trials of advanced kidney disease or high CVD risk with normal kidney function.

    “There was concern that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors may promote AKI through volume depletion, particularly when combined with diuretics or other medications that reduce glomerular filtration; however, this has not been found to be true in randomized controlled trials of advanced kidney disease (29) or high CVD risk with normal kidney function (30)(31)(32).”

    From 11. Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 (2026) · cites this paper as [31]

    The Safety and Adverse Events section reports fewer events consistent with acute renal failure, including AKI, with empagliflozin than with placebo, and similar rates of events consistent with volume depletion. The Results section says more than 99% of participants had established cardiovascular disease, but 25.5% had a baseline eGFR below 60; this was not exclusively a trial of people with normal kidney function. The paper also does not establish the claimed mechanism or report an AKI result specifically for patients taking diuretics. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • SGLT2 inhibitors reduce kidney tubular glucose reabsorption, weight, systemic blood pressure, intraglomerular pressure, and albuminuria and slow GFR loss through mechanisms that appear independent of glycemia.

    “For example, SGLT2 inhibitors reduce kidney tubular glucose reabsorption, weight, systemic blood pressure, intraglomerular pressure, and albuminuria and slow GFR loss through mechanisms that appear independent of glycemia (31,(97)(98)(99)(100)(101).”

    From 11. Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 (2026) · cites this paper as [31]

    The introduction (p. 324) says empagliflozin reduces renal glucose reabsorption, weight, blood pressure, and intraglomerular pressure; Renal Outcomes reports less progression to macroalbuminuria, and Renal Function over Time reports slower eGFR decline than with placebo. The Discussion says changes in hyperglycemia and other risk factors are unlikely to fully explain the renal benefit, but does not establish that the mechanisms are independent of glycemia. The evidence is for empagliflozin in the studied populations, rather than SGLT2 inhibitors as a class. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Wanner, C., Inzucchi, S. E., Lachin, J. M., Fitchett, D., von Eynatten, M., Mattheus, M., Johansen, O. E., Woerle, H. J., Broedl, U. C., & Zinman, B.
Affiliations
Mount Sinai Hospital (CA)
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2016-07-28
Volume
375
Issue
4
Pages
323-334
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W2424539745
Cited by
3,655
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 179 · 2025: 241 · 2024: 289 · 2023: 347 · 2022: 415 · 2021: 425 · 2020: 457 · 2019: 395 · 2018: 418 · 2017: 362 · 2016: 117 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3
FWCI
433.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (acceptedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
  • Florence Research (University of Florence) (submittedVersion)
  • Lirias (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Nephrology › Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Nephrology › Acute Kidney Injury Research
Keywords
empagliflozin, SGLT2 inhibitors, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease progression, kidney disease, albuminuria, macroalbuminuria, serum creatinine doubling, renal replacement therapy, renal outcomes, EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, impaired kidney function, cardiovascular risk, drug safety, adverse events, microvascular outcomes, hospitalization
MeSH terms
Aged, Albuminuria, Benzhydryl Compounds, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Diabetic Nephropathies, Female, Glomerular Filtration Rate, Glucosides, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents, Kidney, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Proportional Hazards Models, Disease Progression, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Microvessels, Intention to Treat Analysis

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