SPRINT-A Kidney-Centric Narrative Review: Recent Advances in Hypertension

Results from a Phase 1 Study Assessing the Pharmacokinetics of the Aldosterone Synthase Inhibitor Baxdrostat in Participants with Varying Degrees of Renal Function

Baxdrostat is a selective small-molecule aldosterone synthase inhibitor in development for treatment of hypertension and chronic kidney disease. This phase 1, open-label, parallel-group study assessed the safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of baxdrostat in participants with varying degrees of renal function. Participants were enrolled into control (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥60 mL/min), moderate to severe renal impairment (eGFR 15-59 mL/min), or kidney failure (eGFR <15 mL/min) groups and received a single 10-mg baxdrostat dose followed by 7 days of inpatient PK blood and urine sampling. Safety was assessed by adverse events, clinical laboratory evaluations, vital signs, physical examinations, and electrocardiograms (ECGs). Thirty-2 participants completed the study. There were no deaths and only 1 mild drug-related adverse event (diarrhea). No clinically meaningful changes in laboratory values, vital signs, physical examinations, or ECGs occurred. Plasma concentration-time curves of baxdrostat were similar among all groups. Urine PK parameters were similar (approximately 12% excreted) in the moderate to severe renal impairment and control groups. Inadequate urine production in the kidney failure group resulted in minimal urinary baxdrostat excretion. Renal impairment had no significant impact on systemic exposure or clearance of baxdrostat, suggesting that dose adjustment due to PK differences in patients with kidney disease is unnecessary.

Association of the Intensive Blood Pressure Target and Cardiovascular Outcomes in the Population With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Study in Korea

BACKGROUND

Recently, the target systolic blood pressure (BP) <120 mm Hg was suggested in the population with chronic kidney disease. We aimed to determine the applicability of intensified BP and to assess the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the population with chronic kidney disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Participants who were >20 years old and had estimated glomerular filtration rate 15 to 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 during 2009 to 2011 were included from the database of Korean National Health Insurance Service and were followed up to 2018. Participants were categorized by BP as <120/80 mm Hg; 120 to 129/<80 mm Hg; 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg; ≥140/90 mm Hg. The primary outcome was CVD risk and the secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and progression to end-stage renal disease followed by subgroup analysis. Among the 45 263 adults with chronic kidney disease, 5196 CVD events were noted. In Cox regression analysis, higher BP was associated with a higher risk for CVD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15 [95% CI, 1.12-1.19]; P for trend <0.001), end-stage renal disease (HR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.22-1.37]; P for trend <0.001), and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.06-1.13]; P for trend <0.001) than BP <120/80 mm Hg. In subgroup analysis, the association between BP and CVD showed a different trend in participants taking antihypertensives compared with those not using antihypertensive drugs. When comparing BP-treated individuals to untreated individuals, a significant interaction in the association between BP categories and end-stage renal disease was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The new intensive BP target proposed by 2021 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes should be applied to patients with chronic kidney disease in a personalized and advisory manner.

Lifestyle Modifications and Nutritional and Therapeutic Interventions in Delaying the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Review

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a debilitating progressive illness that affects more than 10% of the world's population. In this literature review, we discussed the roles of nutritional interventions, lifestyle modifications, hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) control, and medications in delaying the progression of CKD. Walking, weight loss, low-protein diet (LPD), adherence to the alternate Mediterranean (aMed) diet, and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)-2010 slow the progression of CKD. However, smoking and binge alcohol drinking increase the risk of CKD progression. In addition, hyperglycemia, altered lipid metabolism, low-grade inflammation, over-activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), and overhydration (OH) increase diabetic CKD progression. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines recommend blood pressure (BP) control of <140/90 mmHg in patients without albuminuria and <130/80 mmHg in patients with albuminuria to prevent CKD progression. Medical therapies aim to target epigenetic alterations, fibrosis, and inflammation. Currently, RAAS blockade, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, pentoxifylline, and finerenone are approved for managing CKD. In addition, according to the completed Study of Diabetic Nephropathy with Atrasentan (SONAR), atrasentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), decreased the risk of renal events in diabetic CKD patients. However, ongoing trials are studying the role of other agents in slowing the progression of CKD.