The Effect of Glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonism on Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a devastating complication of diabetes, that in it's worst form, can lead to early cardiovascular death or kidney failure. A group of medicines used to treat diabetes, glucagon-like-peptide-1 analogues (GLP-1), may be able to protect people with diabetes from DKD by reducing inflammation in the kidney. This study aims to test this theory by studying the effect of GLP-1 on kidney function in people with diabetes. To understand how GLP-1 can affect inflammation, the investigators will give a GLP-1 treatment (Liraglutide) to people with DKD and monitor the effect on inflammation and kidney function using blood and urine tests. The investigators will compare these results to patients with DKD who do not receive GLP-1 treatment. If GLP-1 proves to be effective in reducing inflammation and improving kidney function, then it could be developed as a viable new treatment for people with DKD, and may significantly reduce the disease burden, or the risk of DKD, in people with diabetes. This would be a major advance in the treatment of DKD.