Science & discoveries / Randomised study · 3,533 participants
Beyond glucose: what FLOW found about the kidneys
A clinical trial in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Key takeaway
A relative reduction of 24% does not mean 24 fewer cases for every 100 people.
What was studied
FLOW compared semaglutide with placebo in 3,533 people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who met specified criteria. Median follow-up was 3.4 years. The trial stopped early after a planned interim analysis.
What was found
The primary endpoint combined kidney failure, a large decline in kidney function, or death from kidney or cardiovascular causes. There were 331 events with semaglutide and 410 with placebo; the hazard ratio was 0.76.
What it does not prove
A composite result does not mean every component changed by the same amount. The conclusions concern the selected patients, not everyone with diabetes. Novo Nordisk funded the trial.
Why it matters
For readers, the study explains why diabetes research also measures organ protection. It is not an instruction to start, stop or change a medicine.
Sources
- Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes ↗NEJM · Perkovic and colleagues · Accessed 5 September 2026
An editorial explanation referring to the listed sources. General information; individual interpretation and treatment require clinical assessment.
Updated 5 September 2026. How we prepare our content