The kidney benefits from taking a weekly semaglutide shot for weight and heart health probably aren't just because it lowers blood sugar or blood pressure — there might be other ways it's helping the kidneys.

For adults who are overweight, have heart disease, and early kidney problems but not diabetes, taking a weekly semaglutide shot might help their kidneys work better over two years compared to a placebo.

Taking a weekly semaglutide shot might help protect the kidneys in people with extra weight and heart disease—even if they don’t have diabetes.

For people with type 2 diabetes and kidney problems, taking a weekly semaglutide shot might help slow down how fast their kidneys get worse.

For adults who are overweight, have heart disease, but don’t have diabetes, taking a weekly semaglutide shot might help slow down how fast their kidneys lose function each year.

For adults with type 2 diabetes and kidney problems, taking a weekly semaglutide shot (1.0 mg) can lower their chances of serious kidney or heart issues by about a quarter over 3.4 years — about 1 in every 20 people who take it will avoid a major problem.