Empagliflozin was well tolerated in a kidney disease trial
In both groups, 96% tolerated the full dose; height-adjusted kidney volume grew 10.5% a year with empagliflozin versus 5.1% with placebo.
Limit: The safety assessment included only 50 adults
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
The pilot randomized trial studied 50 adults aged 18–55 with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, an inherited condition that causes kidney cysts. Participants faced a high risk of progression and were not taking the kidney drug tolvaptan. They received empagliflozin, 25 mg once daily, or placebo for 12 months.
Adverse events occurred at similar frequencies. Two people taking empagliflozin had urinary tract infections, compared with none taking placebo. One placebo recipient had acute kidney injury. Kidney volume, adjusted for height, increased faster with empagliflozin. Estimated kidney filtering function fell more during the first month with empagliflozin, but its rate of change did not differ between groups from months 1 to 12. The groups also showed no differences in changes in artery stiffness or reported symptoms.
Why it matters
Preserving kidney function as disease progresses matters for long-term health. The trial addressed whether a drug class that slows other kidney diseases may also help in this inherited condition.
Caveats
Kidney volume and filtering function were secondary outcomes in this small, 12-month feasibility trial. The findings do not establish effects in people outside ages 18–55, those at low risk of progression or those taking tolvaptan.
The paper
University of Maryland; University of Colorado
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Oct 24, 2026
