Showing recent highlights
Medications
PubMed · June 13, 2026
A study found that finerenone (brand name Kerendia), a medication that works by blocking a specific hormone receptor involved in kidney damage, helped slow the progression of chronic kidney disease and reduced serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes across a wide range of patients — not just those with diabetes. Researchers pooled data from over 14,500 participants across three studies to reach these findings, making this a broader look at how the drug performs than what was previously known. This appears to be new evidence expanding our understanding of who might benefit from this treatment option.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether finerenone might help slow down the patient's kidney disease and protect the patient's heart, based on recent research showing it works across different types of kidney problems.
What's New
PubMed · June 10, 2026
Researchers found that nearly half of people in the general population have high blood pressure specifically at night — even if their daytime readings look normal — and the numbers are even higher among people who already have high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, or kidney problems. This matters because nighttime blood pressure turns out to be a stronger warning sign for serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes than the readings taken during the day, suggesting that standard daytime measurements alone might be missing something important. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · June 9, 2026
According to the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American Diabetes Association, and American Society of Nephrology guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes often face overlapping risks involving the heart, kidneys, and metabolism — and these guidelines are designed to help doctors manage all of those risks together rather than treating each one separately. This matters because heart disease and kidney disease are closely connected to diabetes, meaning addressing them as a group can lead to better overall care. These guidelines are intended to give doctors — including heart specialists, diabetes specialists, kidney specialists, and primary care providers — a shared, up-to-date approach to protecting their patients' health.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should be screened for kidney disease and heart problems as part of managing their type 2 diabetes, since these conditions often happen together.
Medications
ScienceDaily · June 8, 2026
A medical press release highlights new findings about a drug called finerenone, which may help protect the kidneys and heart in a much larger group of people with chronic kidney disease than doctors previously realized — including people whose kidney disease is not related to diabetes, who often have very few treatment options. Three major studies found that finerenone significantly slowed the worsening of kidney disease and lowered the chances of kidney failure, heart failure, and death. This appears to be an emerging new option, though readers should speak with their doctor to understand whether it might be relevant to their situation.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether finerenone might be something the patient should consider taking to help protect their kidneys and heart.
Medications
PubMed · June 2, 2026
A study found that semaglutide — sold under brand names like Ozempic — helped protect the kidneys and reduce the risk of death in people with type 2 diabetes who also had chronic kidney disease, meaning long-term damage that reduces how well the kidneys filter the blood. Researchers found these benefits held up across different groups of patients, including those who already had heart disease and those who had heart failure (when the heart can't pump blood as well as it should). This appears to be a new finding about how this medication may help beyond just blood sugar control.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy) might help protect the patient's kidneys and reduce the risk of kidney disease getting worse, especially if the patient also has heart disease or is at high risk for it.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
Researchers found that among several newer diabetes medications like Ozempic or Victoza, semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) showed the strongest and most consistent results in reducing serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes in people with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk — especially when combined with another diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana. The analysis looked at 34 studies and also found promising kidney-protecting effects from some of these medications. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
JAMA · May 19, 2026
The FDA announced the approval of the first generic versions of Farxiga, a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana that helps people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar control. This type of medication works by helping the kidneys remove extra sugar from the body through urine. This approval means a lower-cost version of the drug may now be available as an option for patients to discuss with their doctor.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient could switch to generic dapagliflozin instead of the brand-name Farxiga to help manage blood sugar at a lower cost.
Medications
PubMed · May 6, 2026
This study looked at two groups of diabetes medications — ones like Ozempic or Victoza and ones like Jardiance or Invokana — to see whether they affect the risk of acute kidney injury (a sudden, short-term drop in kidney function, different from long-term kidney disease). Researchers analyzed 67 studies involving nearly 200,000 people with type 2 diabetes and found that only high-dose tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro, given at 10–15 mg per week) was linked to a meaningfully higher risk of acute kidney injury compared to a placebo, while the other medications did not show the same concern. This appears to be a safety update that adds important detail about individual drugs within these medication families, rather than treating them all as identical.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know about the differences between GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance when it comes to the risk of sudden kidney problems, since these two types of diabetes medicines might affect the kidneys differently.
Medications
PubMed · May 1, 2026
This research looks at empagliflozin (brand name Jardiance), a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana, and what it does for the kidneys of people who have type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease. Pulling together 13 studies and over 36,000 patients, researchers found that people taking Jardiance had a meaningfully lower chance of their kidney disease getting worse compared to those taking a placebo (a dummy pill with no active medicine). This is a strengthened safety and benefit update — it adds to growing evidence that Jardiance may help protect the kidneys in people who already have heart disease, which is a group that often faces higher kidney risks.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether empagliflozin might help protect the patient's kidneys if the patient have both type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Guidelines
PubMed · May 1, 2026
According to the Austrian Diabetes Association and the Austrian Society of Nephrology guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes should be aware that kidney disease linked to diabetes affects an estimated 250,000 people in Austria alone, making it a serious and common concern. These guidelines recommend a combination of healthy lifestyle changes alongside careful management of high blood pressure and blood sugar control to help slow or prevent kidney damage. Certain medication types are also highlighted as important tools in protecting the kidneys for those at risk.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should be screened for kidney disease as part of their diabetes care, and what that screening involves.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · May 1, 2026
A study found that among people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease who are also overweight, a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana appeared to do a better job of slowing kidney disease progression than a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza, based on a review of 38 different studies. Researchers also looked at whether using both types of medications together might be helpful, though questions still remain about the best way to combine or sequence them. People with type 2 diabetes and kidney concerns may want to ask their doctor whether either of these medication types is right for their situation.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know about SGLT2 inhibitors like Farxiga or Jardiance and GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, since research shows both types of medicine can help protect the kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight.
Medications
FDA Drug Approvals · April 6, 2026
Researchers found that a combination medication called dapagliflozin and saxagliptin — which combines a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana with a diabetes medication like Januvia into a single tablet — has been approved by the FDA. This means people with type 2 diabetes may have access to a new option that combines two different blood sugar control approaches in one pill taken by mouth. This appears to be a new treatment option, though patients should speak with their doctor to learn whether it might be relevant to their care.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the combination of dapagliflozin and saxagliptin might be a good option for the patient's type 2 diabetes management.
Medications
FDA Drug Approvals · April 6, 2026
Researchers found that dapagliflozin — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — has received FDA approval as a tablet that people take by mouth. This type of medication is generally used to help with blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, and in some cases may also support kidney and heart health. This approval means a version made by Macleods Pharmaceuticals is now an available option alongside others already on the market.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether dapagliflozin might be a good option for the patient's type 2 diabetes and how it works differently than the medicines the patient is currently taking.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · April 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza — and a newer dual-action version called tirzepatide — may help protect the kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes, including those who already have some kidney disease. Specifically, studies showed these medications helped slow the decline of kidney function and reduce a protein called albumin leaking into urine (an early warning sign that the kidneys are under stress). This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · March 31, 2026
This research looked at a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana and reviewed 50 studies to see how it affects survival across different groups of people. The studies found that people taking this type of medication were less likely to die — both within the first year and over longer periods — with some of the strongest benefits seen in people who were hospitalized with a serious heart condition called acute cardiac decompensation, which is when the heart suddenly struggles to pump blood properly. This appears to be a safety and effectiveness update, adding to the growing body of evidence about how this medication may help people beyond just managing blood sugar control.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · March 20, 2026
A study found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana was linked to lower risks of sudden kidney problems and death in older adults, with the strongest survival benefit seen in people aged 75 and older — but it also came with a notably higher risk of genital infections, especially at higher doses and in the oldest patients. Researchers also found that not all medications in this group behave the same way, meaning the specific drug chosen can matter for safety. People with type 2 diabetes in this age group may want to ask their doctor how these trade-offs apply to their personal health situation.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether SGLT2 inhibitors like empagliflozin or dapagliflozin would be safe for the patient to take, especially since the research shows they may actually lower the risk of kidney problems in older adults with type 2 diabetes.
What's New
The Lancet · March 19, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza (semaglutide) may have benefits that go well beyond blood sugar control, with promising signs in conditions like kidney disease, heart failure, and joint problems — and scientists are now exploring whether it might also help with brain-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease. For people with type 2 diabetes, this is interesting because a medication they may already be taking could potentially offer additional health benefits. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · January 1, 2026
This research looks at a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — specifically one called dapagliflozin (brand name Farxiga) — and how it affects kidney health in people with type 2 diabetes who also have chronic kidney disease (meaning their kidneys are already not working at full strength). Pulling together results from 10 separate studies, the analysis found that people taking dapagliflozin had fewer serious kidney-related complications, such as their kidney disease getting much worse or progressing to kidney failure, compared to people who didn't take it. This appears to be a new option update, adding more evidence that this type of medication may help protect the kidneys in people who have both type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
Medications
PubMed · January 1, 2026
This research compared three types of newer diabetes medications — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana, a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza, and a diabetes medication like Januvia — to see which worked best for people with type 2 diabetes who also have chronic kidney disease (meaning their kidneys are not working as well as they should). The analysis of 30 studies found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana (particularly the versions called Sotagliflozin, Empagliflozin, and Canagliflozin) tended to perform best across outcomes like serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, kidney health, and overall death rates in this group of patients. This is a new findings update that helps clarify which options may offer the most benefit for people managing both conditions at once, though the researchers note the "best" choice is still not fully settled.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether medications like SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists might work better for the patient than the patient's current diabetes medicine, especially if the patient also need to protect the patient's kidneys.
Guidelines
ADA Standards of Care 2026 · January 1, 2026
According to clinical guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at every routine visit, or at least every six months, and are encouraged to monitor it at home as well. Guidelines recommend that if it can be safely achieved, the target blood pressure for these patients should be below 130/80 mmHg — and even lower (below 120 on the top number) for those at higher risk for serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes. These targets are meant to be decided together by patients and their doctor, taking into account each person's overall health, personal preferences, and how well they might tolerate blood pressure medications.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor how often the patient should be getting the patient's blood pressure checked, and whether the patient need to monitor it at home between visits.
What's New
PubMed · January 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana does not appear to raise the overall risk of cancer — including breast and bladder cancer — in people with type 2 diabetes, even those who also have heart failure or kidney disease. This came from a large analysis combining data from 28 studies and nearly 100,000 participants. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · January 1, 2026
Researchers found that combining a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana with another drug called finerenone — which helps protect the heart and kidneys — may lower the risk of death and serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes more than taking finerenone alone, in people with kidney disease related to diabetes. The combination also appeared to slow kidney damage more effectively, but it came with a higher chance of developing high potassium levels in the blood, which can be dangerous and needs monitoring. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether combining finerenone with an SGLT2 inhibitor like Jardiance or Farxiga might be more effective for protecting the patient's kidneys than using just one of these medications.
Lifestyle
AHA Guidelines · August 8, 2025
A study found that eating too many ultra-processed foods — things like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, fast food, and ready-made meals — is linked to poor health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, partly because these foods tend to be loaded with saturated fat (the kind of fat that can clog arteries) and added sugars while offering little real nutrition. Researchers found that this combination of excess calories and low nutritional value can make blood sugar control harder to manage. The study highlights that the more ultra-processed foods people eat on a regular basis, the greater the impact on their overall health.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.