Comparison of renal outcomes between sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists

•The comparison between SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists was analyzed using the propensity score matching method.•The incidence of the renal outcome was lower in patients with SGLT2 inhibitors than in those with GLP-1 receptor agonists.•SGLT2 inhibitor treatment had the superiority for the annual change in eGFR. This study aimed to clarify the differences in how sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1Ra) influence kidney function in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We retrospectively built two databases of patients with T2DM who visited the clinics of members of Kanagawa Physicians Association. We defined the renal composite outcome as either progression of albuminuria status and/or > 15% deterioration in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) per year. We used propensity score matching to compare patient outcomes after SGLT2i and GLP1Ra treatments. The incidence of renal composite outcomes was significantly lower in SGLT2i-treated patients than in GLP1Ra-treated patients (n = 15[11%] and n = 27[20%], respectively, P = 0.001). Annual eGFR changes (mL/min/1.73 m2/year) between the two groups differed significantly (−1.8 [95 %CI, −2.7, −0.9] in SGLT2i-treated patients and − 3.4 [95 %CI, −4.6, −2.2] in GLP1Ra-treated patients, P = 0.0049). The urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio changed owing to a significant interaction between the presence or absence of a decrease in systolic blood pressure and the difference in treatments (P