The number of nephroprotection targets attained is associated with cardiorenal outcomes and mortality in patients with diabetic kidney disease. The CKD-REIN cohort study

Diabetes Obes Metab. 2024 May;26(5):1908-1918. doi: 10.1111/dom.15507. Epub 2024 Feb 28.

Abstract

Aim: The risk of cardiorenal events remains high among patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), despite the prescription of recommended treatments. We aimed to determine whether the attainment of a combination of nephroprotection targets at baseline (glycated haemoglobin <7.0%, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio <300 mg/g, blood pressure <130/80 mmHg, renin-angiotensin system inhibition) was associated with better cardiorenal outcomes and lower mortality.

Materials and methods: From the prospective French CKD-REIN cohort, we studied 1260 patients with diabetes and CKD stages 3-4 (estimated glomerular filtration rate: 15-60 ml/min/1.73 m2); 69% were men, and at inclusion, mean ± SD age: 70 ± 10 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate: 33 ± 11 ml/min/1.73 m2. The median follow-up was 4.9 years.

Results: In adjusted Cox regression models, the attainment of two nephroprotection targets was consistently associated with a lower risk of cardiorenal events [hazard ratio 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.57-0.85)], incident kidney failure with replacement therapy [0.58 (0.43-0.77)], four major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for heart failure) [0.75 (0.57-0.99)] and all-cause mortality [0.59 (0.42-0.82)] when compared with the attainment of zero or one target. For patients with a urinary albumin-creatinine ratio ≥300 mg/g, those who attained at least two targets had lower hazard ratios for cardiorenal events [0.61 (0.39-0.96)], four major adverse cardiovascular events [0.53 (0.28-0.98)] and all-cause mortality [0.35 (0.17-0.70)] compared with those who failed to attain any targets.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that the attainment of a combination of nephroprotection targets is associated with better cardiorenal outcomes and a lower mortality rate in people with diabetic kidney disease.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; diabetic nephropathy; pharmaco‐epidemiology; type 2 diabetes.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Albumins
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / etiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Creatinine
  • Diabetes Mellitus*
  • Diabetic Nephropathies* / complications
  • Female
  • Glomerular Filtration Rate
  • Heart Failure* / complications
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Renal Insufficiency, Chronic*

Substances

  • Creatinine
  • Albumins