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Publication Information

DOI
PubMed ID
Public Release Type
Journal
Publication Year
2023
Affiliation
1 Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Divisions of Nephrology, University of California San Francisco 2 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco 3 Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Tufts University 4 Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany 5 Clinical Research Center for Rare Diseases Aldo e Cele Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Villa Camozzi, Ranica, Bergamo, Italy 6 Unit of Nephrology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
Authors
Grimes BA, Inker LA, Ku E, McCulloch CE, Remuzzi G, Ruggenenti P, Sarnak MJ, Schaefer F, Tighiouart H, Wühl E

Abstract

Background: The effect of intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering on the risk of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) remains unclear in patients with advanced kidney disease who were not well-represented in trials evaluating intensive BP control. Methods: We pooled individual-level data from seven trials that included patients with eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m2 to examine the effect of intensive BP lowering on the risk of KRT, or when not possible, trial-defined kidney outcomes. We performed pre-specified subgroup analyses to evaluate the effect of intensive BP control by baseline albuminuria and eGFR (CKD stage 4-5 versus 3). Results: We included 5823 trial participants, of whom 526 developed the kidney outcome and 382 died. Overall, intensive (versus usual) BP control was associated with a lower risk of the kidney outcome (HR 0.87 [95% CI 0.74-1.04]) and death (HR 0.87 [95% CI 0.71-1.06]) in unadjusted analysis which did not achieve statistical significance. However, there was heterogeneity in the effect of the intervention on the kidney outcome by baseline GFR (pinteraction=0.05). By intention to treat, intensive (versus usual) BP control was associated with lower risk of the primary kidney outcome in those with CKD GFR stage 4-5 (HR 0.80 [95% CI 0.65-0.98]) but not in CKD GFR stage 3 (HR 1.08 [95% CI 0.79-1.48]). There was no interaction between intensive BP control and severity of albuminuria for kidney outcomes (p=0.32). Conclusion: In patients with CKD, intensive BP control was associated with a reduction in the risk of kidney outcomes, especially in the setting of stage 4-5 disease. These findings suggest the safety of and need to conduct future trials of BP targets focused on populations with advanced kidney disease.