Making treatment guideline recommendations in chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes more accessible to primary care providers in the United States.

Clinical practice guidelines for the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are designed to assist healthcare professionals with clinical decision making by providing recommendations on the screening, detection, management, and treatment of these conditions. However, primary care practitioners (PCPs) may have clinical inertia when it comes to routinely enacting CKD and T2D guideline recommendations in their clinical practices. Guideline developers have published a range of resources with the aim of facilitating easier access to guideline recommendations to support efficient and consistent implementation into clinical practice of PCPs. Challenges remain in providing strategies to reduce inertia in the application of guideline recommendations in primary care. In this review, we explore reasons behind the low level of awareness and poor uptake of published evidence-based care approaches to the optimal management of patients with T2D and CKD. Finally, we present suggestions on strategies to improve the implementation of guideline-directed recommendations in primary care.

Clinical practice guidelines for managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) for people who also have type 2 diabetes (T2D) provide healthcare providers with recommendations on how to identify, diagnose, and treat CKD. Although treatments cannot cure CKD, they can help to reduce the risk of CKD getting worse. The recommendations are based on results of clinical trials that tested how safe and how well a medication works among many people with CKD and T2D. If these clinical trials show that the medicine is beneficial for people with CKD and T2D, then it may be included in guideline recommendations. Most people living with T2D and early-stage CKD are treated by their primary care practitioner (PCP). If PCPs are not fully aware of guideline recommendations, then their patients may lose the opportunity to receive medications that can benefit them. PCPs have said that barriers to implementing guideline recommendations in their clinical practices include too many guidelines and that the guidelines are difficult to understand and use in their offices. Guideline developers have thought of ways to make the guidelines easier to access and use. This includes putting the guidelines onto mobile apps, providing online resources, making versions more relevant to PCPs, and combining multiple guidelines. These approaches are helpful, but more work is needed. This review article talks about the reasons why PCPs are not always aware of the most up-to-date guideline recommendations for CKD and T2D, how guideline developers have found different ways of sharing the guideline recommendations, and what more can be done.

A National Survey of Pregnancy and Parenthood Among Nephrology Trainees: A Focus on Nephrology Fellowship.

BACKGROUND: National and international policies on parental leave for physician trainees are inconsistent. Physician trainees, including nephrology fellows, may be at higher risk of pregnancy complications. Physician trainees face barriers in meeting their breastfeeding goals and in finding childcare due to nontraditional work hours with extended or unpredictable shifts. Here, we examine awareness of current policies in United States (US) nephrology fellowship programs regarding parental leave, pregnancy/breastfeeding accommodations, and fellows' perspectives on family planning. METHODS: An anonymous, on-line survey of US nephrology fellows was undertaken from June 9 to August, 24, 2023. RESULTS: One hundred twenty nephrology fellows submitted the survey. A majority of fellow respondents were unaware of parental leave policies of their training programs (63%), Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) (75%), and/or American Board of Medical Specialties(ABMS) (75%). Forty two percent were unaware of the duration of parental leave at their program. Nearly 45% of all respondents were unsure if their program limited night shifts or shifts greater than 24 hours for pregnant trainees. Forty three percent reported they were unsure of lactation accommodations, and 40% were unsure of access to subsidized childcare. When fellows received work accommodations for pregnancy or parenthood, their work obligations were largely covered by co-fellows (60%) or attendings (38%). Over 60% of fellows agreed or strongly agreed that they would avoid a pregnancy in fellowship due to concern they would have to extend their training. Of the 40 fellows who chose to pursue pregnancy or parenthood during medical training, 75% did not change their career plans as a result. CONCLUSIONS: Most nephrology fellows were unaware of parental leave policies and pregnancy/lactation accommodations. While the topic itself has a broad impact to all physician trainees, there is need for improved awareness about national and local program policies among trainees across individual nephrology programs.

KDOQI Commentary on the KDIGO 2022 Update to the Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Management in CKD.

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline for diabetes management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) was updated in 2022, just 2 years after the previous update. The need for this rapid update is reflective of the recent and unprecedented positive results of numerous clinical trials aimed at reducing kidney and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes. The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) work group for diabetes in CKD, convened by the National Kidney Foundation, provides herein a commentary on these changes, particularly the implications for health care in the United States. Changes to the KDIGO guideline mirror the evolution of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists from purely antihyperglycemic agents to cardiorenal-metabolic therapeutics, and the lower estimated glomerular filtration rate of≥20mL/min/1.73m2 for SGLT2 inhibitor initiation. New data have also brought the addition of the first-in-class, Federal Drug Administration-approved nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone as an agent to reduce cardiorenal end points. While there has been significant progress in innovation, there remain serious challenges to implementation, particularly in the United States where inequities in insurance coverage and high costs limit their use, particularly in vulnerable populations, ultimately widening health care disparities.

Pathomechanisms of Diabetic Kidney Disease.

The worldwide occurrence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is swiftly rising, primarily attributed to the growing population of individuals affected by type 2 diabetes. This surge has been transformed into a substantial global concern, placing additional strain on healthcare systems already grappling with significant demands. The pathogenesis of DKD is intricate, originating with hyperglycemia, which triggers various mechanisms and pathways: metabolic, hemodynamic, inflammatory, and fibrotic which ultimately lead to renal damage. Within each pathway, several mediators contribute to the development of renal structural and functional changes. Some of these mediators, such as inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and transforming growth factor ß are shared among the different pathways, leading to significant overlap and interaction between them. While current treatment options for DKD have shown advancement over previous strategies, their effectiveness remains somewhat constrained as patients still experience residual risk of disease progression. Therefore, a comprehensive grasp of the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of DKD is imperative for the continued creation of novel and groundbreaking therapies for this condition. In this review, we discuss the current achievements in fundamental research, with a particular emphasis on individual factors and recent developments in DKD treatment.

Prescription of guideline-directed medical therapies in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease from the CURE-CKD Registry, 2019-2020.

AIM: Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is designed to improve clinical outcomes. The study aim was to assess GDMT prescribing rates and prescribing-persistence predictors in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) from the Center for Kidney Disease Research, Education, and Hope Registry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were obtained from adults ≥18 years old with diabetes and CKD between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020 (N = 39 158). Baseline and persistent (≥90 days) prescriptions for GDMT, including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist were assessed. RESULTS: The population age (mean ± SD) was 70 ± 14 years, and 49.6% (n = 19 415) were women. Baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (2021 CKD-Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation) was 57.5 ± 23.0 ml/min/1.73 m2 and urine albumin/creatinine 57.5 mg/g (31.7-158.2; median, interquartile range). Baseline and ≥90-day persistent prescribing rates, respectively, were 70.7% and 40.4% for ACE inhibitor/ARB, 6.0% and 5.0% for SGLT2 inhibitors, and 6.8% and 6.3% for GLP-1 receptor agonist (all p < .001). Patients lacking primary commercial health insurance coverage were less likely to be prescribed an ACE inhibitor/ARB [odds ratio (OR) = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.95; p < .001], SGLT2 inhibitor (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.64-0.81; p < .001) or GLP-1 receptor agonist (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.80-0.98; p = .02). GDMT prescribing rates were lower at Providence than UCLA Health. CONCLUSIONS: Prescribing for GDMT was suboptimal and waned quickly in patients with diabetes and CKD. Type of primary health insurance coverage and health system were associated with GDMT prescribing.

Osteopontin as a Biomarker in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a ubiquitously expressed protein with a wide range of physiological functions, including roles in bone mineralization, immune regulation, and wound healing. OPN has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD) where it promotes inflammation and fibrosis and regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism. OPN expression is increased in the kidneys, blood, and urine of patients with CKD, particularly in those with diabetic kidney disease and glomerulonephritis. The full-length OPN protein is cleaved by various proteases, including thrombin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-7, cathepsin-D, and plasmin, producing N-terminal OPN (ntOPN), which may have more detrimental effects in CKD. Studies suggest that OPN may serve as a biomarker in CKD, and while more research is needed to fully evaluate and validate OPN and ntOPN as CKD biomarkers, the available evidence suggests that they are promising candidates for further investigation. Targeting OPN may be a potential treatment strategy. Several studies show that inhibition of OPN expression or activity can attenuate kidney injury and improve kidney function. In addition to its effects on kidney function, OPN has been linked to cardiovascular disease, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD.

Design and rationale of FINE-REAL: A prospective study of finerenone in clinical practice.

AIMS: Contemporary patterns of care of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the adoption of finerenone are not known. The FINE-REAL study (NCT05348733) is a prospective observational study in patients with CKD and T2D to provide insights into the use of the nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) finerenone in clinical practice. METHODS: FINE-REAL is an international, prospective, multicenter, single-arm study enrolling approximately 5500 adults with CKD and T2D in an estimated 200 sites across 22 countries. The study is anticipated to be ongoing until 2027. RESULTS: The primary objective is to describe treatment patterns in patients with CKD and T2D treated with finerenone in routine clinical practice. Secondary objectives include assessment of safety with finerenone. Other endpoints include characterization of healthcare resource utilization and occurrence of newly diagnosed diabetic retinopathy or its progression from baseline in patients with existing disease. A biobank is being organized for future explorative analyses with inclusion of participants from the United States. CONCLUSIONS: FINE-REAL is the first prospective observational study with a nonsteroidal MRA in a population with CKD and T2D and is expected to provide meaningful insights into the treatment of CKD associated with T2D. FINE-REAL will inform decision-making with respect to initiation of finerenone in patients with CKD and T2D.

Qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives on engaging Latinx patients in kidney-related research.

BACKGROUND: Latinx individuals are disproportionally burdened by kidney diseases compared to non-Latinx White individuals and are underrepresented in kidney-related research. We aimed to describe stakeholder perspectives on Latinx patient engagement in kidney-related research. METHODS: We conducted a thematic analysis of two online moderated discussions and an interactive online survey with open-text responses involving participants (i.e. stakeholders), with personal and/or professional experiences with Latinx patients with kidney diseases and their families/caregivers. RESULTS: Among the eight stakeholders (Female:75%; Latinx ethnicity:88%), there were three physicians, one nurse, one patient with kidney disease who received a kidney transplant, one policy maker, one Doctor of Philosophy, and one executive director of a non-profit health organization. We identified five themes. The majority of themes and their respective subthemes (in parentheses) reflected barriers to engagement: Lack of personal relevance (unable to relate to research staff and marketing resources, and unclear benefit of research to self, family, and community); fear and vulnerability (immigration concerns, stigma with seeking care, skepticism of Western medicine); logistical and financial barriers (limited opportunities to enroll in clinical trials, out-of-pocket costs, transportation issues); and distrust and asymmetry of power (related to limited English proficiency or health literacy, and provider bias). The last theme centered on stimulating interest and establishing trust in the research process. CONCLUSIONS: To overcome barriers to engagement in kidney-related research and establish trust among potential Latinx research participants, stakeholders recommended employing cultural responsiveness and community-based strategies. These strategies can help identify local health priorities, enhance research recruitment and retention strategies, and establish partnerships that continue to elevate research endeavors aiming to enhance the health of Latinx individuals with kidney diseases.

"Positive Kidney Health": Implementation and design of a pharmacist-led intervention for patients at risk for development or progression of chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) or underlying risk factors are often unaware of their kidney test results, common causes of CKD, and ways to lower risk of disease onset/progression. OBJECTIVE: To test feasibility of a pharmacist-led intervention targeting patient education and risk factors in patients with early CKD and those at risk for CKD. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Ambulatory care pharmacists in community-based primary care clinics delivered kidney health education, ordered labs, and recommended medication adjustments. PRACTICE INNOVATION: We identified patients with a moderate rate of decline (≥2 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year) in estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) at-risk for CKD or early stage CKD. An interactive workbook was designed to teach patients about kidney test results and self-management of risk factors including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cigarette smoking, and chronic oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. EVALUATION METHODS: Outcomes included visit uptake, completion of annual albuminuria screening, and initiation of guideline-directed medications for CKD. Patients were surveyed pre- and post-intervention for kidney health knowledge and perceptions regarding pharmacist-provided information. RESULTS: Our sample of 20 participants had a mean eGFR of 59 mL/min/1.73 m2 and the mean eGFR decline was -4.6 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year. There were 47 visits during the pilot period from February 2021 to October 2021. Thirteen patients were missing albuminuria screening within 12 months; 2 of 9 patients with resulting labs had new microalbuminuria and were started on renoprotective medications. Patients had improved understanding of their kidney function test results and most did not consider the information scary or confusing. CONCLUSION: Barriers to enrollment included fewer participants with multiple risk factors for CKD. The pharmacists were able to engage patients in learning the importance of monitoring and self-management of kidney health. A collaborative practice agreement may enhance a similar intervention that includes initiation of renoprotective medications.

Erratum: Ancestral diversity improves discovery and fine-mapping of genetic loci for anthropometric traits-The Hispanic/Latino Anthropometry Consortium.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2022.100099.].

Living with Chronic Kidney Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Patient and Clinician Perspective.

Comorbid type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with poor health outcomes and a high economic burden. Management of these conditions remains a significant challenge for current healthcare systems. The objective of this article is to describe the experiences of patients living with T2D and CKD and their thoughts on how communication between patients and their clinicians could be improved despite the multiple comorbidities that need to be addressed. We present the individual perspectives of three patient authors, followed by relevant discussion around the management of CKD in patients with T2D by clinician authors.Audio abstract available for this article. Audio Abstract. In this audio introduction, the authors Patrick Gee (a patient author) and Eugene Wright (a clinician author) provide a brief overview and discuss the key findings of their article titled "Living with Chronic Kidney Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Patient and Clinician Perspective".

People living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D for short) and chronic kidney disease (CKD for short) may have worse health over time. Managing long-term health conditions can be expensive for those living with the conditions and for healthcare systems. To optimize their quality of life, people with T2D and CKD need the necessary resources to better manage their conditions. Healthcare professionals desire the best outcomes for their patients. Currently, communication between healthcare professionals and their patients is suboptimal, and ineffective communication creates a barrier to effective optimal care. The aim of this article is to describe the experiences of three people living with T2D and CKD (patients), who are also authors of the article. They outline their thoughts on how communication between patients and healthcare professionals might be improved when managing multiple conditions. We also present responses from three healthcare professionals (clinicians), who are co-authors of this article, to the points made by the patients, as well as their views on how to manage these long-term conditions.

Diabetic Kidney Disease Back in Focus: Management Field Guide for Health Care Professionals in the 21st Century.

Chronic kidney disease due to diabetes, or diabetic kidney disease (DKD), is a worldwide leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure and an increasingly important global public health issue. It is associated with poor quality of life, high burden of chronic diseases, and increased risk of premature death. Until recently, people with DKD had limited therapeutic options. Treatments have focused largely on glycemic and blood pressure control and renin-angiotensin system blockade, leaving patients with significant residual risk for progression of DKD. The availability of newer classes of glucose-lowering agents, namely, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, has changed the therapeutic landscape for these patients. These therapies have offered unprecedented opportunities to reduce the risk for progression of kidney disease and the risk of death that have led to recent updates to clinical guidelines. As such, the American Diabetes Association, the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes now recommend the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists for patients with DKD to provide both kidney and cardiovascular protective benefits. This review highlights the importance of early detection of DKD and summarizes the latest recommendations in the clinical guidelines on management of patients with DKD with hope of facilitating their uptake into everyday clinical practice. An integrated approach to patient care with a multidisciplinary focus can help achieve the necessary shift in clinical care of patients with DKD.

Race, ancestry, and genetic risk for kidney failure.

In a retrospective analysis of over 62,000 Black and non-Black participants from eight United States cohorts, Gutiérrez et al.1 examined estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations to assess racial differences in kidney failure requiring replacement therapy and in mortality across different equations.