Renoprotective effects of dapagliflozin in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease: A retrospective observational study.

AIM: This study aimed to identify the association of dapagliflozin treatment with renal function and safety profile in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in comparison with patients not treated with dapagliflozin.

METHODS

This was a single-centre, retrospective study including adult patients (≥18 years) with T2DM and CKD treated between January 2020 and December 2024. Patients with missing medical records, patients treated for heart failure and patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 25 mL/min were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 200 patients were included, of these 49.5% were male. The median follow-up was 2.1 years. Mean eGFR showed significantly lower deterioration in the dapagliflozin group compared to the non-dapagliflozin group (-2.1 ± 7.0 vs. -8.6 ± 10.9 mL/min/1.73 m2; p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that dapagliflozin was an independent predictor of renal protection (OR = 4.279, 95% CI: 1.002-7.56; p = 0.011). Dapagliflozin was associated with less hospital admissions (30% vs. 44%; p = 0.04) with no differences in the adverse effects profiles between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The use of dapagliflozin was associated with significant renal protection and lower hospitalizations without compromising patient safety. These findings support the beneficial role of dapagliflozin in preserving renal function in this high-risk population.