• Posted June 5, 2026

Popular Blood Pressure Meds Linked To Kidney Damage Risk In Type 2 Diabetes

A common class of blood pressure medications might contribute to kidney damage among people with type 2 diabetes, a new study says.

Dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers (DCCBs) work by relaxing blood vessels, and are frequently used as second-line therapies in people with diabetic kidney disease (DKD), researchers said.

But patients with type 2 diabetes taking the drugs had a 33% higher risk of kidney damage, even though they were on other drugs intended to protect kidney function, researchers reported today at the European Renal Association’s annual congress in Glasgow, Scotland.

"DCCBs are widely used as second-line blood pressure treatments in patients with DKD," said lead researcher Dr. Timna Agur, a nephrologist at Rabin Medical Center in Israel.

"Our findings raise important questions about whether these medications are always the best option for patients already receiving modern kidney-protective therapies,” Agur said in a news release.

For the new study, researchers analyzed data from more than 31,000 adults with type 2 diabetes between 2016 and 2021.

All patients were taking two different drugs that have transformed care for those with diabetic kidney disease – renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, which lower blood pressure and reduce pressure within the kidney’s filtering units, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which can reduce the risk of kidney failure.

Nearly 2 out of 5 (39%) also had been prescribed a DCCB, researchers said. Common DCCBs in the United States include amlodipine (Norvasc) and Nifedipine (Adlat CC, Procardia XL), according to Tulane University.

After about 3.5 years of follow-up, researchers found that taking a DCCB on top of the other drugs increased risk of major kidney problems by 33%.

"We initially thought the kidney-protective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors might counterbalance the potential harms associated with DCCBs," Agur said. "However, the increased risk of kidney disease progression appeared to persist even in this group."

Researchers think the way DCCBs work could be causing the additional risk. The drugs might be relaxing the blood vessels leading into the kidneys but not the vessels carrying blood out, potentially increasing pressure in the organs and contributing to damage.

However, the research team cautioned that the study was observational, and can’t establish a direct cause-and-effect link. People taking DCCBs shouldn’t quit the drugs without first talking to their doctor.

“Further prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these observations and better define the safest blood pressure treatment strategies for patients with DKD,” Agur said. “However, given how commonly these medications are prescribed, any increase in kidney risk could have important implications for large numbers of patients with DKD.”

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The National Institutes of Health has more about diabetic kidney disease.

SOURCE: European Renal Association, news release, June 4, 2026