Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes: The Canadian REgistry of Chronic Kidney Disease in Diabetes Outcomes (CREDO) Study.

Purpose: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with an elevated risk of end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and death. As the breadth of treatment options for CKD in patients with T2D (CKD in T2D) continues to expand, an analysis of the current use of therapies and cardiovascular and kidney outcomes is necessary. The objectives of the study were to assess the prevalence of CKD in T2D among a contemporary cohort of patients, to describe patient characteristics and treatment patterns, and to examine health care practitioner rationale for initiating therapies.

Methods: The study was a retrospective, observational study (module A) with a prospective component (module B). For module A, sociodemographic data, medical history, prescription information, and laboratory investigations for patients seen by an endocrinologist in 2019 were retrieved from the LMC Diabetes Registry. Module B included a subset of patients for health care practitioner surveys to understand rationale for administering angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs). Descriptive analyses were conducted.

Findings: The study included 14,873 patients (59% male). Mean patient age was 67 years, mean body mass index was 31 kg/m, and mean glycosylated hemoglobin was 7.6%. Mean diabetes duration was 16 years. The prevalence of CKD in patients with T2D was 47.9%. Common comorbidities were hypertension (76%), dyslipidemia (71%), and obesity (51%). CVD was reported in 22%. The proportion of kidney medications and emerging therapies varied, with 76% of patients using an ACEi or ARB, 48% using an SGLT2i, 30% using a GLP-1RA, and 3% using a steroidal MRA. In module B, physicians identified that ACEis/ARBs, SGLT2is, GLP-1RAs, or steroidal MRAs were administered to primarily treat CKD in 33%, 12%, 0%, and 4% of the patients (n = 500), respectively.

Implications: These findings improved our understanding of the current landscape and treatment patterns of CKD inT2D and highlighted the importance of considering treatments that will provide a comprehensive strategy for cardiovascular and kidney risk protection. Despite the high prevalence of CKD and comorbidities reported in a large, Canadian T2D specialist population, ACEis/ARBs, SGLT2is, and GLP-1RAs were underused, especially considering recent clinical trial reports. The relative use of steroidal MRAs was expectedly low. With an immense burden of CKD progression and among patients with T2D, the use of treatments that provide a comprehensive strategy for kidney protection will transform the landscape of CKD in T2D. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04445181.