At the 2025 National Lipid Association conference, a compelling shift emerged: GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic) may protect the heart and kidneys regardless of weight loss. Traditionally seen as weight-loss and diabetes drugs, new data suggest they might do far more.
The SELECT trial showed a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events—even in patients without diabetes. Meanwhile, the FLOW trial revealed significant kidney protection, including slower disease progression and reduced risk of kidney failure—effects observed even before patients lost weight.
What’s driving this? Experts point to semaglutide’s anti-inflammatory properties, which may mitigate systemic inflammation linked to both cardiovascular and renal disease. According to Dr. Samuel Klein of Washington University, this opens new doors for using GLP-1s in broader patient populations—especially those at risk for cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of obesity status.