In late 2020, the nonprofit organization Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) published a clinical practice guideline in the Annals of Internal Medicine on management of patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The new guidance focuses on comprehensive care needs, glycemic monitoring and targets, and educational and integrated care approaches. “The 2020 KDIGO clinical practice guideline on diabetes management incorporates recent kidney outcome data to provide specific recommendations on use of glucose-lowering agents to mitigate kidney and cardiovascular risk,” said Joshua J. Neumiller, PharmD, CDCES, FADCES, FASCP, vice-chair and Allen I. White Distinguished Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Washington State University in Pullman. “Recommendations from KDIGO complement current guidance from the endocrine and cardiology communities, but provides a succinct resource related to the specific care needs of patients with diabetes and CKD. Particularly important to pharmacists is the guideline's discussion of risk mitigation strategies and important counseling points to optimize patient safety,” said Neumiller. Patients with diabetes and CKD often have other comorbidities and a higher cardiovascular burden, so a comprehensive management approach is needed. KDIGO recommends use of an ACE inhibitor (ACEi) or an ARB in patients with diabetes, hypertension, and albuminuria, with these medications titrated to the highest approved dose that is tolerated. Use may also be considered in patients with diabetes, albuminuria, and normal blood pressure. Only one of these agents should be used at a time, as combination therapy with an ACEi and an ARB or one of these agents with a direct renin inhibitor may be potentially harmful. Close monitoring of blood pressure, potassium levels, and serum creatinine is needed within 2 to 4 weeks of initiation of therapy or when there is a dose increase. KDIGO recommends that hyperkalemia be managed by implementing measures to reduce potassium levels (e.g., moderating potassium intake, initiating diuretics) rather than by decreasing or discontinuing the ACEi or ARB immediately. In addition, KDIGO recommends continuation of the ACEi or ARB unless creatinine levels increase by more than 30%. The ACEi or ARB dose should be reduced or withdrawn in patients who develop symptomatic hypotension, uncontrolled hyperkalemia (despite interventions), and acute kidney injury. The guideline discusses tobacco cessation as part of the comprehensive care plan, with patients encouraged to avoid using any tobacco products and to reduce their exposure to secondhand smoke. A section on lifestyle intervention is also included, and clinicians are encouraged to review those recommendations in the full publication. KDIGO recommends that A1C levels be used to monitor glycemic control in patients with diabetes and CKD, with an individualized target ranging from <6.5% to <8.0% for those not treated with dialysis. Assessment twice per year is reasonable, but assessments as often as 4 times per year may be needed if glycemic targets are not met or after a change in antihyperglycemic therapy. For antihyperglycemic therapy, KDIGO recommends metformin in combination with a sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor for patients with type 2 diabetes, CKD, and an eGFR of 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 or greater. If patients do not reach their individualized glycemic target or are unable to use those medications, the guideline recommends use of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist as the next preferred agent. Other antihyperglycemic agents are also listed with a figure (i.e., Figure 4) that helps guide appropriate selection based on patient and provider preferences (e.g., weight loss, avoid injections, avoid hypoglycemia, potent glucose lowering needed), comorbidities (e.g., high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure), eGFR (e.g., dialysis), and cost. KDIGO recognizes that data on use of newer agents in patients with type 1 diabetes and CKD receiving insulin are sparse and makes no special recommendations for these patients. KDIGO discusses the importance of both a self-management education program and a team-based integrated approach to care. The self-education program should consider local context, cultures, and availability of resources and be tailored to individual preferences and learning styles. These programs can be delivered one-on-one or as a group-based model. The team-based approach should include both physician and nonphysician personnel and focus on regular assessments, control of multiple risk factors, and self-management to protect kidney function and reduce the risk for complications.
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May 7, 2021
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