ICYMI: Top Content From Kidney Week 2022

Kidney Week 2022, which took place in Orlando, Florida, from November 1 to November 6, focused on multiple topics within nephrology care. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) outcomes and treatment were 2 of the topics covered during the conference, and experts in the field also touched on the role of the medical community in disproving health misinformation.

Here was the top content published from Kidney Week 2022.

Empagliflozin Cuts Risk of Cardiovascular Death, More Severe CKD by 28%, Study Finds

A 28% reduction in the risk of progressing or dying from cardiovascular issues was found in patients with CKD when they were treated with empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor. The EMPA-KIDNEY study was first designed to test the efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with CKD who had various symptoms, including those with decreased kidney function and those with increased albuminuria. The study found that more patients in the placebo group had progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular disease compared with patients using empagliflozin (16.9% vs 13.1%) in 2 years of follow-up.

Dr Jen Gunter Addresses the Evolving Role of the Medical Community in Combating Health Misinformation

Jen Gunter, MD, spoke with us about the new role that the medical and scientific communities have in disproving and clarifying health care misinformation found on social media and in the press. Gunter said that physicians have been more open about speaking to the press and the public about disinformation than they had been prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that some doctors and physicians with more job security are more apt to speak out on their opinions than new doctors or doctors employed by certain medical institutions. Making it easy and safe for doctors to speak out is something to strive for, according to Gunter.

CKD Outcomes Improve for Black Adults When DASH Diet Is Combined With Coaching, Assistance

A Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was able to improve outcomes for CKD in Black adults when combined with coaching and assistance, according to a study presented at the conference. Lack of access to healthy food could lead to higher rates of hypertension and advanced CKD in Black adults who live in the United States. The DASH diet promoted a heart-healthy diet that was rich in potassium and low in sodium. The study found that patients who had dietician-directed coaching had a 73.3% decrease in urine albuminin-to-creatinine ratio whereas the self-directed group had a 20.5% increase.

Dr Jennifer Green Discusses Positive Efficacy of Empagliflozin Among Patients With CKD in the EMPA-KIDNEY Trial

Jennifer Green, MD, spoke with us about the results of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, which found that patients with CKD treated with empagliflozin had a 28% reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease or progression of CKD. Green said that the trial included various patients with CKD both with and without diabetes and with CKD of different types. She also said that the results were consistent across many subgroups. At-risk individuals can now look forward to these therapies for treatment.