Explore the vast range of titles available.

Alkali therapy of metabolic acidosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with plasma total CO2 (TCO2) below 22mmol/l per KDOQI guidelines appears to preserve estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Since angiotensin II mediates GFR decline in partial nephrectomy models of CKD and even mild metabolic acidosis increases kidney angiotensin II in animals, alkali treatment of CKD-related metabolic acidosis in patients with plasma TCO2 over 22mmol/l might preserve GFR through reduced kidney angiotensin II. To test this, we randomized 108 patients with stage 3 CKD and plasma TCO2 22–24mmol/l to Usual Care or interventions designed to reduce dietary acid by 50% using sodium bicarbonate or base-producing fruits and vegetables. All were treated to achieve a systolic blood pressure below 130mmHg with regimens including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition and followed for 3 years. Plasma TCO2 decreased in Usual Care but increased with bicarbonate or fruits and vegetables. By contrast, urine excretion of angiotensinogen, an index of kidney angiotensin II, increased in Usual Care but decreased with bicarbonate or fruits and vegetables. Creatinine-calculated and cystatin C–calculated eGFR decreased in all groups, but loss was less at 3 years with bicarbonate or fruits and vegetables than Usual Care. Thus, dietary alkali treatment of metabolic acidosis in CKD that is less severe than that for which KDOQI recommends therapy reduces kidney angiotensin II activity and preserves eGFR.

In this trial in persons with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes, combination therapy with finerenone and empagliflozin led to a greater reduction in the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio than either drug alone.

The Japan Diabetes Complications Study (JDCS), a nation-wide, multicenter, prospective study of patients with type 2 diabetes, reported that hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure, and smoking were risk factors for the onset of macroalbuminuria. This study explored the risk factors for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline in the JDCS patients. We examined the 1407 JDCS patients (667 women, mean age 59years, 974 normoalbuminuria, 433 microalbuminuria) whose urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were determined at baseline with an 8-year follow-up. We divided all the patients into four groups according to baseline eGFR: G1 (120≤eGFR), G2 (90≤eGFR<120), G3 (60≤eGFR<90), G4 (eGFR<60). The eGFRs in groups G1 and G2 decreased at follow-up compared to those at the baseline. The risk of annual eGFR decline rate≥3ml/min/1.73m2 (rapid decliners) increased as the baseline eGFR increased. Advanced age, high HbA1c, and UACR, or diabetic retinopathy at baseline were risk factors for the rapid decliners. Especially the G1 group had a significant risk for the rapid decliners. The frequency of the patients with GFR<60ml/min/1.73m2 at the follow-up amounted to 31.1% in the rapid decliners, which was higher than 12% in the non-rapid decliners. In normo- and microalbuminuric patients with type 2 diabetes, extra careful attention should be paid to patients with eGFR ≥120ml/min/1.73m2 to detect cases with rapidly decreased GFR under the normal range.

Lowering LDL cholesterol with statin regimens reduces the risk of myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and the need for coronary revascularisation in people without kidney disease, but its effects in people with moderate-to-severe kidney disease are uncertain. The SHARP trial aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination of simvastatin plus ezetimibe in such patients. This randomised double-blind trial included 9270 patients with chronic kidney disease (3023 on dialysis and 6247 not) with no known history of myocardial infarction or coronary revascularisation. Patients were randomly assigned to simvastatin 20 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg daily versus matching placebo. The key prespecified outcome was first major atherosclerotic event (non-fatal myocardial infarction or coronary death, non-haemorrhagic stroke, or any arterial revascularisation procedure). All analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00125593, and ISRCTN54137607. 4650 patients were assigned to receive simvastatin plus ezetimibe and 4620 to placebo. Allocation to simvastatin plus ezetimibe yielded an average LDL cholesterol difference of 0·85 mmol/L (SE 0·02; with about two-thirds compliance) during a median follow-up of 4·9 years and produced a 17% proportional reduction in major atherosclerotic events (526 [11·3%] simvastatin plus ezetimibe vs 619 [13·4%] placebo; rate ratio [RR] 0·83, 95% CI 0·74–0·94; log-rank p=0·0021). Non-significantly fewer patients allocated to simvastatin plus ezetimibe had a non-fatal myocardial infarction or died from coronary heart disease (213 [4·6%] vs 230 [5·0%]; RR 0·92, 95% CI 0·76–1·11; p=0·37) and there were significant reductions in non-haemorrhagic stroke (131 [2·8%] vs 174 [3·8%]; RR 0·75, 95% CI 0·60–0·94; p=0·01) and arterial revascularisation procedures (284 [6·1%] vs 352 [7·6%]; RR 0·79, 95% CI 0·68–0·93; p=0·0036). After weighting for subgroup-specific reductions in LDL cholesterol, there was no good evidence that the proportional effects on major atherosclerotic events differed from the summary rate ratio in any subgroup examined, and, in particular, they were similar in patients on dialysis and those who were not. The excess risk of myopathy was only two per 10 000 patients per year of treatment with this combination (9 [0·2%] vs 5 [0·1%]). There was no evidence of excess risks of hepatitis (21 [0·5%] vs 18 [0·4%]), gallstones (106 [2·3%] vs 106 [2·3%]), or cancer (438 [9·4%] vs 439 [9·5%], p=0·89) and there was no significant excess of death from any non-vascular cause (668 [14·4%] vs 612 [13·2%], p=0·13). Reduction of LDL cholesterol with simvastatin 20 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg daily safely reduced the incidence of major atherosclerotic events in a wide range of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals; Australian National Health and Medical Research Council; British Heart Foundation; UK Medical Research Council.

In the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, had positive cardiorenal effects in patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression. Post-trial follow-up was designed to assess how the effects of empagliflozin would evolve after the discontinuation of the trial drug. In the active trial, patients with chronic kidney disease were randomly assigned to receive either empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo and were followed for a median of 2 years. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m of body-surface area or an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Subsequently, surviving patients who consented were observed for 2 additional years. No trial empagliflozin or placebo was administered during the post-trial period, but local practitioners could prescribe open-label SGLT2 inhibitors, including open-label empagliflozin. The primary composite outcome was kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death as assessed from the start of the active-trial period to the end of the post-trial period. Of the 6609 patients who had undergone randomization in the active trial, 4891 (74%) were enrolled in the post-trial period. During this period, the use of open-label SGLT2 inhibitors was similar in the two groups (43% in the empagliflozin group and 40% in the placebo group). During the combined active- and post-trial periods, a primary-outcome event occurred in 865 of 3304 patients (26.2%) in the empagliflozin group and in 1001 of 3305 patients (30.3%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 0.87). During the post-trial period only, the hazard ratio for a primary-outcome event was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.76 to 0.99). During the combined periods, the risk of kidney disease progression was 23.5% in the empagliflozin group and 27.1% in the placebo group; the risk of the composite of death or end-stage kidney disease was 16.9% and 19.6%, respectively; and the risk of cardiovascular death was 3.8% and 4.9%, respectively. There was no effect of empagliflozin on death from noncardiovascular causes (5.3% in both groups). In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk for progression, empagliflozin continued to have additional cardiorenal benefits for up to 12 months after it was discontinued. (Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and others; EMPA-KIDNEY ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03594110; EuDRACT number, 2017-002971-24.).

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are given calcium carbonate to bind dietary phosphorus, reduce phosphorus retention, and prevent negative calcium balance; however, data are limited on calcium and phosphorus balance during CKD to support this. Here, we studied eight patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD (mean estimated glomerular filtration rate 36ml/min) who received a controlled diet with or without a calcium carbonate supplement (1500mg/day calcium) during two 3-week balance periods in a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over design. All feces and urine were collected during weeks 2 and 3 of each balance period and fasting blood, and urine was collected at baseline and at the end of each week. Calcium kinetics were determined using oral and intravenous 45calcium. Patients were found to be in neutral calcium and phosphorus balance while on the placebo. Calcium carbonate supplementation produced positive calcium balance, did not affect phosphorus balance, and produced only a modest reduction in urine phosphorus excretion compared with placebo. Calcium kinetics demonstrated positive net bone balance but less than overall calcium balance, suggesting soft-tissue deposition. Fasting blood and urine biochemistries of calcium and phosphate homeostasis were unaffected by calcium carbonate. Thus, the positive calcium balance produced by calcium carbonate treatment within 3 weeks cautions against its use as a phosphate binder in patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD, if these findings can be extrapolated to long-term therapy.

Short-term treatment for people with type 2 diabetes using a low dose of the selective endothelin A receptor antagonist atrasentan reduces albuminuria without causing significant sodium retention. We report the long-term effects of treatment with atrasentan on major renal outcomes. We did this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at 689 sites in 41 countries. We enrolled adults aged 18–85 years with type 2 diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 25–75 mL/min per 1·73 m2 of body surface area, and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of 300–5000 mg/g who had received maximum labelled or tolerated renin–angiotensin system inhibition for at least 4 weeks. Participants were given atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily during an enrichment period before random group assignment. Those with a UACR decrease of at least 30% with no substantial fluid retention during the enrichment period (responders) were included in the double-blind treatment period. Responders were randomly assigned to receive either atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily or placebo. All patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was a composite of doubling of serum creatinine (sustained for ≥30 days) or end-stage kidney disease (eGFR <15 mL/min per 1·73 m2 sustained for ≥90 days, chronic dialysis for ≥90 days, kidney transplantation, or death from kidney failure) in the intention-to-treat population of all responders. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned study treatment. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01858532. Between May 17, 2013, and July 13, 2017, 11 087 patients were screened; 5117 entered the enrichment period, and 4711 completed the enrichment period. Of these, 2648 patients were responders and were randomly assigned to the atrasentan group (n=1325) or placebo group (n=1323). Median follow-up was 2·2 years (IQR 1·4–2·9). 79 (6·0%) of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 105 (7·9%) of 1323 in the placebo group had a primary composite renal endpoint event (hazard ratio [HR] 0·65 [95% CI 0·49–0·88]; p=0·0047). Fluid retention and anaemia adverse events, which have been previously attributed to endothelin receptor antagonists, were more frequent in the atrasentan group than in the placebo group. Hospital admission for heart failure occurred in 47 (3·5%) of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 34 (2·6%) of 1323 patients in the placebo group (HR 1·33 [95% CI 0·85–2·07]; p=0·208). 58 (4·4%) patients in the atrasentan group and 52 (3·9%) in the placebo group died (HR 1·09 [95% CI 0·75–1·59]; p=0·65). Atrasentan reduced the risk of renal events in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were selected to optimise efficacy and safety. These data support a potential role for selective endothelin receptor antagonists in protecting renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of developing end-stage kidney disease. AbbVie.

This randomized, phase 3 trial compared the effectiveness of roxadustat, an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, with epoetin alfa in patients undergoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis in China. Oral roxadustat was noninferior to parenteral epoetin alfa as therapy for anemia.

Two randomized, open-label, noninferiority phase 3 trials compared the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor vadadustat with darbepoetin alfa in patients with incident or prevalent chronic kidney disease who were undergoing dialysis. Vadadustat was noninferior to darbepoetin alfa with respect to cardiovascular safety and correction and maintenance of hemoglobin concentrations.

This trial compared the oral HIF-PHI daprodustat with conventional erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving dialysis. Daprodustat was noninferior to ESAs regarding the change in the hemoglobin level from baseline and cardiovascular outcomes.