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What's New
PubMed · October 30, 2026
Researchers found that a different blood sugar tracking tool called glycated albumin (GA) may do a better job than the standard blood sugar level (A1C) test at spotting poor blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes who also have serious kidney disease — catching it in 52% of cases compared to just 19% with the A1C test alone. This matters because when kidneys are severely damaged, the A1C test can give misleading results, and missing poor blood sugar control can lead to more health problems down the line. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 30, 2026
Researchers found that in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, older patients and women tended to show greater reductions in a key marker of kidney stress — a protein called albumin leaking into the urine, which signals how hard the kidneys are working — compared to younger patients and men, regardless of which medication they were taking. This difference in response wasn't explained by the treatments themselves, meaning age and sex seem to independently influence how the kidneys respond. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 2, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana helped protect the kidneys in people who had both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys slowly lose their ability to filter waste from the blood. Across 17 studies involving nearly 30,000 people, these medications also improved blood sugar control (A1C), reduced body weight, and lowered high blood pressure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who took a diabetes medication like Ozempic (semaglutide) were less likely to experience serious kidney problems — such as a major loss of kidney function or kidney failure — compared to those who took a placebo (a dummy pill with no active medicine). The analysis pooled data from nearly 31,000 people across three large studies, making the findings fairly robust. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys are gradually losing their ability to filter waste — were able to successfully complete a remote monitoring study from home, tracking a key marker of kidney stress called albumin in their urine. Participants took a diabetes medication like Jardiance, and some were later switched to or combined it with another drug called finerenone, with the goal of better protecting the kidneys. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
A study found that among people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, those who kept their blood sugar level (A1C) and blood pressure consistently within healthy target ranges over time had a meaningfully lower risk of kidney damage compared to those whose levels often fell outside those targets. Specifically, people who kept their blood sugar level (A1C) in the target range 100% of the time had about a 20% lower risk of kidney problems than those who were in range less than half the time. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that a probiotic called Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 helped relieve constipation in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (long-term kidney damage), with the biggest benefits seen in people aged 65 and older, men, and those with better kidney function. The study also found that people taking metformin (a common diabetes pill) were more likely to see improvement, while those using insulin were less likely to benefit. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · October 1, 2026
According to the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) guidelines, people with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys are gradually losing their ability to filter waste from the blood — face a much higher risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, heart failure, and early death, which is why regular heart health screening is strongly recommended for this group. The ASN highlights that newer medications, including a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana and a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza, have shown meaningful benefits for both heart and kidney health in these patients. These guidelines emphasize that heart disease, kidney disease, and metabolic conditions like diabetes are deeply connected and need to be treated together rather than separately.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should be screened more often or in different ways for heart disease since the patient has kidney disease, and what medications might help protect both the heart and kidneys at the same time.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that a protein called EGF, measured in urine, may help predict how well someone's kidneys will hold up over time — lower levels suggested the kidneys were less able to repair themselves, which was linked to a greater chance of kidney disease getting worse. The study also found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana helped slow the drop in this protein, possibly helping to keep kidney cells healthier for longer. This could eventually help doctors identify people with chronic kidney disease (a long-term condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste) who are at higher risk, even beyond existing warning signs. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 30, 2026
Researchers found that eating a lot of sugar is consistently linked to a higher risk of 18 different health problems, with the strongest evidence connecting sugar intake to type 2 diabetes, obesity, serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, and early death. For people with type 2 diabetes especially, this matters because sugar consumption may worsen blood sugar control and raise the chances of complications beyond diabetes alone. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that canagliflozin — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — was linked to a significant reduction in the risk of kidney failure (when the kidneys stop working well enough on their own) in adults aged 50 and older with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, for roughly every 28 people who took the medication over three years, one case of kidney failure may have been prevented. The medication also appeared to lower the risk of death from serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, though that finding wasn't strong enough statistically to be considered definitive. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza helped protect against serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes equally well in people with type 2 diabetes, regardless of whether they also had reduced kidney function — meaning the kidneys' ability to filter blood was lower than normal. What's especially interesting is that people with reduced kidney function appeared to get a somewhat larger real-world benefit, because their overall heart risk was already higher to begin with. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that combining two medications — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana (empagliflozin) and a drug called finerenone — lowered blood pressure more effectively than either medication alone in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, but mainly in those who already had higher blood pressure to start with. The study also found hints that lowering blood pressure early in treatment may help protect the kidneys over time, as measured by a protein called albumin leaking into the urine — a sign of kidney stress. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a structured self-management program — where people with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes learn skills to manage their health day-to-day — led to lasting improvements in sleep, pain, fatigue, and mood, even six months after the program ended, across many different countries. For someone with type 2 diabetes, this matters because managing a long-term condition involves a lot more than just medication — things like energy levels, sleep, and emotional well-being all affect how well someone can stay on top of their health. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that two diabetes medications like Jardiance or Invokana — specifically empagliflozin and dapagliflozin — may lower the risk of sudden cardiac death (when the heart unexpectedly stops beating) by about 18% compared to a placebo, based on data from more than 58,000 people across eight studies. This finding held up across different groups of patients, including those with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, or kidney disease, which makes it particularly interesting since sudden cardiac death is one of the hardest outcomes to prevent. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that combining two medications — finerenone and a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — reduced a key sign of kidney stress called albuminuria (protein leaking into the urine, which can signal kidney damage) more effectively than either medication taken alone, and this benefit held true regardless of where patients started in terms of their blood sugar level (A1C). This matters for people with type 2 diabetes because kidney problems are a serious and common complication, and finding that this combination works across a wide range of blood sugar levels suggests it could potentially help a broad group of patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether taking finerenone and empagliflozin together might help reduce protein in the patient's urine better than taking either medication alone.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that when doctors received a simple electronic alert reminding them to run a urine test — which checks for early signs of kidney damage — they ordered it about three times more often than doctors who got no reminder. This meant more people with type 2 diabetes were identified as having early kidney problems, which can be easy to miss because it often causes no symptoms. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that two medications — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana and a newer drug called finerenone — can both help protect the kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, and using them together may offer additional benefits. One of the key findings was that a short-term dip in how well the kidneys filter blood (a common and usually harmless reaction to these medicines) didn't explain all the kidney-protecting effects, suggesting the drugs work through more than one pathway. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with advanced kidney damage caused by type 2 diabetes who received intensive, all-around treatment — carefully managing their blood sugar control, blood pressure, and cholesterol alongside lifestyle changes — were significantly less likely over 10 years to experience serious kidney decline, complete kidney failure, or death compared to those who received standard care. The study also found that higher blood pressure and higher LDL cholesterol (sometimes called 'bad cholesterol') during treatment were linked to worse kidney outcomes. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 27, 2026
A study found that people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease who took semaglutide — a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza — were less likely to be hospitalized for serious infections, including COVID-19, compared to those who took a placebo. The benefit appeared strongest in people whose blood sugar level (A1C) was higher or whose kidneys were more severely affected, suggesting the medication may offer extra protection for those who are already at greater risk. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether semaglutide (like Ozempic or Wegovy) might help reduce the patient's risk of serious infections or COVID-19, based on what researchers found in a recent large study of people with type 2 diabetes.
What's New
PubMed · August 25, 2026
Researchers found that two proteins measurable in urine — clusterin and epidermal growth factor (EGF, a substance that helps cells repair themselves) — may act as helpful early warning signals for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition where the kidneys slowly lose their ability to filter waste from the blood. Specifically, a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana appeared to raise levels of the repair-related protein (uEGF), while a different type of medication called an endothelin receptor antagonist reduced levels of a protein linked to kidney injury (clusterin), suggesting these urine proteins could one day help doctors track how well treatments are actually working in the kidneys. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 21, 2026
Researchers found that a technique called remote ischemic conditioning — where a blood pressure cuff briefly cuts off and restores blood flow to the arm in repeated cycles — helped reduce protein leaking into the urine in people with type 2 diabetes and early kidney damage. After 8 weeks, people using this technique saw about a 38% drop in that protein (called albumin), which is a sign that the kidneys may be under less stress, while the comparison group saw no improvement. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 19, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who took both a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana AND a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza at the same time had better protection against serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, heart failure hospitalizations, and kidney damage than people taking either medication alone. This matters because doctors often prescribe just one of these drug types, and the combination may offer stronger benefits for the heart and kidneys — two areas where people with type 2 diabetes face higher risk. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether combining an SGLT2 inhibitor like Jardiance with a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic might provide better heart and kidney protection for the patient than taking just one of these medications.
What's New
ScienceDaily · August 18, 2026
A press release highlights a notable finding: a commonly prescribed high blood pressure medication was linked to a 33% higher chance of serious kidney problems in people with type 2 diabetes — even when those people were already taking other medications meant to protect their kidneys. This is raising questions among researchers about whether this type of blood pressure drug is always the best choice for people with type 2 diabetes who also have kidney concerns.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should be taking a calcium channel blocker for blood pressure, or whether a different type of blood pressure medicine might be safer for the patient's kidneys.
What's New
PubMed · August 7, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana does not appear to significantly raise the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) — infections in the bladder or kidneys — which is reassuring news, since this had been a lingering concern. Looking at data from over 62,000 people across 14 studies, the slight increase in UTI risk seen with these medications was too small to be considered statistically meaningful. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 4, 2026
Researchers found that finerenone, a medication that blocks certain hormones to protect the heart and kidneys, appeared to reduce the risk of sudden death in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease — a finding that stood out across three large studies involving nearly 19,000 people. Sudden death, meaning the heart unexpectedly stops without warning, is one of the most serious risks for people managing both diabetes and kidney problems, so even a modest reduction could be meaningful. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that combining two diabetes-related medications — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana (specifically dapagliflozin) and a blood pressure drug called spironolactone — reduced protein leaking into the urine more effectively than using either medication alone in elderly people with early kidney damage from type 2 diabetes. Protein in the urine (called albuminuria) is an early warning sign that the kidneys are under stress, so reducing it is considered a good sign for kidney health. Interestingly, the combination also appeared to lower the risk of dangerously high potassium levels — a known side effect of spironolactone — compared to using spironolactone on its own. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana was linked to meaningful reductions in deaths from heart-related causes and kidney failure among people with diabetes, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease — with those benefits appearing consistently across different age groups. Interestingly, older adults (over 65) also showed a reduction in overall death from any cause, a finding that wasn't seen in the broader group as a whole. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with chronic kidney disease (CKD, meaning long-term loss of kidney function) who had blood sugar levels (A1C) that swung up and down a lot over time were significantly more likely to experience serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, and were also more likely to die, compared to those whose blood sugar stayed more stable. The link between unstable blood sugar and the kidneys getting worse was unclear and needs more investigation. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
A study found that people with type 2 diabetes and advanced kidney disease who used an automated insulin delivery system — a device that automatically adjusts insulin based on continuous blood sugar readings — spent significantly more time with their blood sugar in a healthy range compared to those receiving usual care. Specifically, the time spent in a healthy blood sugar range jumped from about 60% to 73%, which could mean fewer dangerous highs and lows throughout the day. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.