Cardiovascular and renal disease manifestation and healthcare resource utilization in patients on first-line oral therapy for type 2 diabetes: A claims-based observational cohort study

Effects of canagliflozin on total heart failure events across the kidney function spectrum: Participant-level pooled analysis from the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trial

AIMS

People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) face high risks of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations that are often recurrent, especially as kidney function declines. We examined the effects of canagliflozin on total HF events by baseline kidney function in patients with T2D at high cardiovascular risk and/or with chronic kidney disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Leveraging pooled participant-level data from the CANVAS programme (n = 10 142) and CREDENCE trial (n = 4401), first and total HF hospitalizations were examined. Cox proportional hazards models were built for the time to first HF hospitalization, and proportional means models based on cumulative mean functions were used for recurrent HF hospitalizations. Treatment effects were evaluated overall as well as within baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) strata (<45, 45-60, and >60 ml/min/1.73 m2). HF hospitalizations were independently and blindly adjudicated. Among 14 540 participants with available baseline eGFR values, 672 HF hospitalizations occurred over a median follow-up of 2.5 years. Among participants who experienced a HF hospitalization, 357 had a single event (201 in placebo-treated patients and 156 in canagliflozin-treated patients), 77 had 2 events, and 39 had >2 events. Canagliflozin reduced risk of first HF hospitalization (hazard ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48-0.70) consistently across baseline eGFR strata (pinteraction = 0.84). Canagliflozin reduced total HF hospitalizations overall (mean event ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.54-0.73) and across eGFR subgroups (pinteraction = 0.51). Canagliflozin also reduced cardiovascular death and total HF hospitalizations (mean event ratio 0.72, 95% CI 0.65-0.80) and across eGFR subgroups (pinteraction = 0.82). The absolute risk reductions were numerically larger, and numbers needed to treat were smaller when evaluating total events versus first events alone. These observed HF benefits were highly consistent across the range of eGFR, with larger absolute benefits in participants who had worse kidney function at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

In individuals with T2D at high cardiovascular risk and/or with chronic kidney disease, canagliflozin reduced the total burden of HF hospitalizations, with consistent benefits observed across the kidney function spectrum.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: CANVAS (NCT01032629), CANVAS-R (NCT01989754), CREDENCE (NCT02065791).

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome: A state-of-the-art review

The correlation between obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an escalating and widely acknowledged epidemic in industrialized nations. Recently, this complex web of interrelated health conditions has been collectively defined as the Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome by the American Heart Association (AHA). The molecular mechanisms underlying CKM disease contain a spectrum of interconnected factors, including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, heightened activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), the generation of advanced glycation end-products, oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, endoplasmic reticulum stress, abnormalities in calcium handling, malfunctioning of mitochondria and impaired energy production, as well as persistent chronic inflammation. Addressing their prevention, management, and treatment is of paramount importance to promote better patient health outcomes. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive and critical examination of the current state-of-the-art regarding the recently defined CKM syndrome. This includes an exploration of epidemiological evidence establishing connections between cardio-renal-metabolic diseases, an examination of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, and a comprehensive overview of existing treatment modalities.

Humanistic and Economic Burden of Patients with Cardiorenal Metabolic Conditions: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes is associated with significant economic burden. Moreover, cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart failure, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are common comorbidities, leading to premature mortality. We conducted a systematic review to assess the humanistic and economic burden of cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) conditions in individuals ≥ 18 years with CVD, CKD, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

We searched Embase® and Medline® databases from 2011 to January 10, 2022 for English publications reporting humanistic and economic burden outcomes from observational studies, real-world evidence, and economic model studies. Intervention and validation studies were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Abstracts/posters were identified from four conferences (2020-2022).

RESULTS

Of 1804 studies identified, 22 (including four conference publications) were selected involving 351,296,930 participants (one modeled the US population); eight reported healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), seven only cost data, six HCRU and cost data, one reported quality-of-life data (11/18 and 7/18 had estimated low and medium risk of bias, respectively). Participants were predominantly ≥ 65 years and identified as having White ethnicity. Higher costs and HCRU were observed in patients with all three conditions compared to those with two or none. Urban/metropolitan and insured patients had higher healthcare expenditure and service utilization compared to uninsured and racial/ethnic minority populations. Comorbidities were associated with increased hospitalizations, higher costs, and more emergency department visits. In general, patients identified as having Black ethnicity had low odds of using healthcare services, possibly due to disparities in healthcare access and distrust in the system. Limitations included no adjustment for inflation and a predominance of retrospective studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This review showed a greater economic burden for patients with CRM conditions, with a clear trend between increasing numbers of comorbidities and increasing healthcare costs/resource use. Comparisons between countries are complicated and the scarcity of evidence from minority racial and ethnic groups and lack of data from non-US geographies warrant further investigation.

Interconnection between cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disorders: A narrative review with a focus on Japan

Insights from epidemiological, clinical and basic research are illuminating the interplay between metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney dysfunction, termed cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) disease. Broadly defined, CRM disease involves multidirectional interactions between metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), various types of CVD and chronic kidney disease (CKD). T2D confers increased risk for heart failure, which-although well known-has only recently come into focus for treatment, and may differ by ethnicity, whereas atherosclerotic heart disease is a well-established complication of T2D. Many people with T2D also have CKD, with a higher risk in Asians than their Western counterparts. Furthermore, CVD increases the risk of CKD and vice versa, with heart failure, notably, present in approximately half of CKD patients. Molecular mechanisms involved in CRM disease include hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, hyperactivity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, production of advanced glycation end-products, oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, endoplasmic reticulum stress, calcium-handling abnormalities, mitochondrial malfunction and deficient energy production, and chronic inflammation. Pathophysiological manifestations of these processes include diabetic cardiomyopathy, vascular endothelial dysfunction, cardiac and renal fibrosis, glomerular hyperfiltration, renal hypoperfusion and venous congestion, reduced exercise tolerance leading to metabolic dysfunction, and calcification of atherosclerotic plaque. Importantly, recognition of the interaction between CRM diseases would enable a more holistic approach to CRM care, rather than isolated treatment of individual conditions, which may improve patient outcomes. Finally, aspects of CRM diseases may differ between Western and East Asian countries such as Japan, a super-ageing country, with potential differences in epidemiology, complications and prognosis that represent an important avenue for future research.

Costs of multimorbidity: a systematic review and meta-analyses

BACKGROUND

Multimorbidity is a rising global phenomenon, placing strains on countries' population health and finances. This systematic review provides insight into the costs of multimorbidity through addressing the following primary and secondary research questions: What evidence exists on the costs of multimorbidity? How do costs of specific disease combinations vary across countries? How do multimorbidity costs vary across disease combinations? What "cost ingredients" are most commonly included in these multimorbidity studies?

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42020204871) of studies published from January 2010 to January 2022, which reported on costs associated with combinations of at least two specified conditions. Systematic string-based searches were conducted in MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, Global Health, Web of Science, and Business Source Complete. We explored the association between costs of multimorbidity and country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita using a linear mixed model with random intercept. Annual mean direct medical costs per capita were pooled in fixed-effects meta-analyses for each of the frequently reported dyads. Costs are reported in 2021 International Dollars (I$).

RESULTS

Fifty-nine studies were included in the review, the majority of which were from high-income countries, particularly the United States. (1) Reported annual costs of multimorbidity per person ranged from I$800 to I$150,000, depending on disease combination, country, cost ingredients, and other study characteristics. (2) Our results further demonstrated that increased country GDP per capita was associated with higher costs of multimorbidity. (3) Meta-analyses of 15 studies showed that on average, dyads which featured Hypertension were among the least expensive to manage, with the most expensive dyads being Respiratory and Mental Health condition (I$36,840), Diabetes and Heart/vascular condition (I$37,090), and Cancer and Mental Health condition in the first year after cancer diagnosis (I$85,820). (4) Most studies reported only direct medical costs, such as costs of hospitalization, outpatient care, emergency care, and drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimorbidity imposes a large economic burden on both the health system and society, most notably for patients with cancer and mental health condition in the first year after cancer diagnosis. Whether the cost of a disease combination is more or less than the additive costs of the component diseases needs to be further explored. Multimorbidity costing studies typically consider only a limited number of disease combinations, and few have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries and Europe. Rigorous and standardized methods of data collection and costing for multimorbidity should be developed to provide more comprehensive and comparable evidence for the costs of multimorbidity.