NKF KDOQI Commentary on KDIGO 2024 Guidelines for Chronic Kidney Disease Published in American Journal of Kidney Diseases
(New York, NY – November 19, 2024) – The National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF KDOQI) has published a detailed commentary on the recently updated KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) 2024 guidelines for chronic kidney disease (CKD). This commentary, which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the KDIGO guidelines, aims to offer actionable insights and recommendations for the implementation of these guidelines within the clinical practice landscape in the United States. It was released online today by AJKD.
Chronic kidney disease, affecting approximately 37 million people in the U.S., poses significant challenges, as it is often asymptomatic and undetected until its later stages, when progression to kidney failure may be unavoidable. The KDIGO 2024 guidelines have been substantially revised from the previous 2012 edition, incorporating significant advances in CKD management. The KDOQI Work Group has reviewed these guidelines in detail, highlighting several key aspects of the updated recommendations that will impact CKD care practices, including the importance of a multidimensional approach to CKD management, integrating the latest evidence on pharmacologic interventions and emphasizing the role of team-based care.
“We hope that various patient centered strategies outlined in the KDOQI commentary would help effective implementation of the testing and therapeutic options recommended by the KDIGO guidelines to improve clinical outcomes in the US” says, Dr. Sankar Navaneethan, co-chair of the NKF-KDOQI Work Group, Garabed Eknoyan MD, Endowed Professor of Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of Nephrology at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
The commentary underscores the continued relevance of KDIGO’s recommendations on managing CKD, including the importance of the detection of albuminuria and the incorporation of cystatin C in the measurement of kidney function. It also acknowledges the strong evidence supporting the use of novel agents such as SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and non-steroidal mineralocorticoid antagonists in managing CKD.
“We are practicing at an exciting time in the world of kidney medicine,” says Dr. Jeffrey William, co-chair of the NKF KDOQI Work Group, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and nephrologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, The multidisciplinary efforts of kidney health professionals across the spectrum of care in detecting kidney dysfunction and coordinating medication prescribing will enable us to provide these novel, highly effective and life-changing medications to many more individuals with CKD across the United States.”
The commentary, which is a collaborative effort by experts selected for their clinical and research expertise, addresses barriers and opportunities for implementing the new guidelines. It highlights the need for further research and improved educational resources to support effective CKD management. The KDOQI Work Group encourages ongoing dialogue and adaptation of practices to meet the evolving needs of CKD patients.
For more information on the KDOQI commentary and KDIGO 2024 guidelines, please visit https://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-63862400977-6/fulltext or https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2024.08.003.
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, more than 35 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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Contact:
Paul McGee 716.523.6874
Email: paul.mcgee@kidney.org