Is there anything Ozempic CAN’T do? Miracle jab slashes risks of deadly kidney disease that affects three million Britons as experts hail effect ‘better than we dared hope’ [Video]

By Kate Pickles Health Editor For The Daily Mail and John Ely Deputy Health Editor For Mailonline 07:15 EDT 24 May 2024, updated 07:18 EDT 24 May 2024

Weight loss jabs can slash the chances of dying from kidney disease by almost a quarter, a world-first study found.

Patients given semaglutide – the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – were less likely to progress to kidney failure or need transplants in what has been hailed a ‘game-changer’ for the condition.

They were also far less likely to die from heart attack or stroke, compounding recent findings that it is the biggest breakthrough in cardiovascular disease since statins.

Known for dramatic weight-loss, experts believe these latest benefits are independent, with the drug triggering a separate response in kidney cells.

Researchers said the apparent wonder drug is ‘saving kidneys, hearts and lives’, boosting survival chances in conditions traditionally seen as a death sentence.