A breakthrough diabetes drug that helps flush out excess fluid may also reduce the risk of kidney stones, research shows

A breakthrough type of diabetes drug may also reduce the risk of painful kidney stones, research shows.

Canagliflozin and dapagliflozin help the body flush out excess fluid, allowing organs such as the kidneys to function more effectively.

And experts say the medicines should become the first point of contact for GPs.

Previous studies have shown that diabetes patients taking the daily tablets known as SGLT-2 drugs see their risk of premature death or hospitalization drop by more than a quarter.

Now Canadian researchers have discovered that those who take SGLT-2 tablets are also much less likely to develop other conditions linked to diabetes, such as gout – painful pain in the joints. The medications can be crucial in helping diabetics live healthier lives.

A diabetic patient collecting a blood sample for testing blood sugar levels. It is estimated that more than 5.6 million people in the UK are living with diabetes

It is estimated that more than 5.6 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, of which 90 percent have type 2 diabetes.

The condition occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels for longer, leading to complications such as blindness, loss of limbs and heart failure. Kidney stones and gout are also common in people with type 2 diabetes.

Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts, which can be incredibly painful. They can occur if the kidneys do not function properly.

Because diabetes often damages the kidneys – due to the pressure it puts on the organs that filter the blood – patients are twice as likely to develop the stones as people without diabetes.

Gout is also linked to poorly functioning kidneys. This is because the painful swelling it causes is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the joints, a toxin that is normally filtered from the body by the kidneys.

A nurse giving a patient a diabetes test. Researchers have found that a type of diabetes drug may help reduce the risk of developing other related conditions

In the study, researchers from the University of British Columbia followed 20,000 diabetics for a year. Those who took canagliflozin or dapagliflozin were 30 percent less likely to develop kidney stones or gout than those who did not.

‘There is increasing evidence that this is one of the very first drugs that people with type 2 diabetes should be prescribed,’ says Professor David Strain, a diabetes expert at the University of Exeter.

‘Although we now know that these drugs can improve people’s quality of life, they are not currently the preferred route for doctors.’