Personalizing heart failure management in chronic kidney disease patients

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in heart failure (HF) patients is common, present in 49%, and is associated with a higher mortality hazard ratio [2.34 (95% confidence interval 2.20-2.50); P < 0.001] and multiple hospital admissions. The management of HF in CKD can be challenging due to drug-induced electrolyte and creatinine changes, resistance to diuretics and infections related to device therapy. Evidence for improvement in mortality and HF hospitalizations exists in HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in Stage 3 CKD patients from randomized controlled trials of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist therapy but not in dialysis patients, where higher doses can cause hyperkalaemia. Evidence of improvement in cardiovascular death and HF hospitalizations has emerged with the angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor ivabradine and more recently with sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors in HFrEF patients with CKD Stages 1-3. However, these studies have excluded CKD Stages 4 and 5 patients. Evidence for β-blocker therapy exists in CKD Stages 1-3 and separately in haemodialysis patients. Cardiac resynchronization therapy reduces HF hospitalizations and mortality in patients with CKD Stages 1-3 but has not been shown to do so in CKD Stages 4 and 5 or dialysis patients. Internal cardioverter and defibrillator therapy in HFrEF patients has been shown to be beneficial in CKD 3 patients but not in dialysis patients, where it is associated with high rates of infection. For HFpEF patients with CKD, therapy is symptomatic, as there is no proven therapy for improvement in survival or hospitalizations. HF patients with end-stage kidney disease with fluid overload may benefit from peritoneal dialysis. A multidisciplinary, personalized approach has been associated with better care and improved patient satisfaction.