KDOQI Commentary on the KDIGO 2022 Update to the Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Management in CKD

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline for diabetes management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) was updated in 2022, just 2 years after the previous update. The need for this rapid update is reflective of the recent and unprecedented positive results of numerous clinical trials aimed at reducing kidney and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes. The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) work group for diabetes in CKD, convened by the National Kidney Foundation, provides herein a commentary on these changes, particularly the implications for health care in the United States. Changes to the KDIGO guideline mirror the evolution of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists from purely antihyperglycemic agents to cardiorenal-metabolic therapeutics, and the lower estimated glomerular filtration rate of ≥20 mL/min/1.73 m2 for SGLT2 inhibitor initiation. New data have also brought the addition of the first-in-class, Federal Drug Administration–approved nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone as an agent to reduce cardiorenal end points. While there has been significant progress in innovation, there remain serious challenges to implementation, particularly in the United States where inequities in insurance coverage and high costs limit their use, particularly in vulnerable populations, ultimately widening health care disparities. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline for diabetes management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) was updated in 2022, just 2 years after the previous update. The need for this rapid update is reflective of the recent and unprecedented positive results of numerous clinical trials aimed at reducing kidney and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes. The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) work group for diabetes in CKD, convened by the National Kidney Foundation, provides herein a commentary on these changes, particularly the implications for health care in the United States. Changes to the KDIGO guideline mirror the evolution of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists from purely antihyperglycemic agents to cardiorenal-metabolic therapeutics, and the lower estimated glomerular filtration rate of ≥20 mL/min/1.73 m2 for SGLT2 inhibitor initiation. New data have also brought the addition of the first-in-class, Federal Drug Administration–approved nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone as an agent to reduce cardiorenal end points. While there has been significant progress in innovation, there remain serious challenges to implementation, particularly in the United States where inequities in insurance coverage and high costs limit their use, particularly in vulnerable populations, ultimately widening health care disparities. Because they are designed to reflect the views and recommendations of the responsible KDOQI Commentary work group and they are reviewed and approved by KDOQI and NKF leadership, KDOQI Commentaries are not peer reviewed by AJKD. This article was prepared by a KDOQI Commentary work group comprising Drs Amy Mottl and Susanne Nicholas. It was reviewed and approved by the NKF Scientific Advisory Board and the KDOQI. Because they are designed to reflect the views and recommendations of the responsible KDOQI Commentary work group and they are reviewed and approved by KDOQI and NKF leadership, KDOQI Commentaries are not peer reviewed by AJKD. This article was prepared by a KDOQI Commentary work group comprising Drs Amy Mottl and Susanne Nicholas. It was reviewed and approved by the NKF Scientific Advisory Board and the KDOQI.