An international Delphi consensus regarding best practice recommendations for hyperkalaemia across the cardiorenal spectrum.

AIMS: Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) are guideline-recommended therapy for individuals with cardiorenal disease. They are associated with increased risk of hyperkalaemia, a common and life-threatening disorder for this population. RAASi-induced hyperkalaemia often leads to dose reduction or discontinuation, reducing cardiorenal protection. Guideline recommendations differ between specialties for the clinical management of hyperkalaemia. Using a modified Delphi method, we developed consensus recommendations for optimal management of hyperkalaemia in adults with cardiorenal disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: An international steering group of cardiologists and nephrologists developed 39 statements regarding hyperkalaemia care, including risk factors and risk stratification, prevention, correction, and cross-specialty coordination. Consensus was determined by agreement on an online questionnaire administered to cardiorenal specialists across Europe and North America. The threshold for consensus agreement was established a priori by the steering group at 67%. Across November 2021, 520 responses were received from Canada (n = 50), France (n = 50), Germany (n = 54), Italy (n = 58), Spain (n = 57), the UK (n = 49), and the US (n = 202); 268 from cardiologists and 252 from nephrologists. Twenty-nine statements attained very high agreement (≥90%) and 10 attained high agreement (≥67%-<90%), with strong alignment between cardiologists and nephrologists. CONCLUSION: A high degree of consensus regarding hyperkalaemia evaluation and management exists among healthcare professionals. Based on high levels of agreement, the steering group derived six key recommendations for hyperkalaemia prevention and management in people with cardiorenal disease. Future studies examining the quality of hyperkalaemia care delivery are required

CODE-EHR best practice framework for the use of structured electronic healthcare records in clinical research

Big data is central to new developments in global clinical science aiming to improve the lives of patients. Technological advances have led to the routine use of structured electronic healthcare records with the potential to address key gaps in clinical evidence. The covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the potential of big data and related analytics, but also important pitfalls. Verification, validation, and data privacy, as well as the social mandate to undertake research are key challenges. The European Society of Cardiology and the BigData@Heart consortium have brought together a range of international stakeholders, including patient representatives, clinicians, scientists, regulators, journal editors and industry. We propose the CODE-EHR Minimum Standards Framework as a means to improve the design of studies, enhance transparency and develop a roadmap towards more robust and effective utilisation of healthcare data for research purposes

Heart failure in chronic kidney disease: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference

The incidence and prevalence of heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are increasing, and as such a better understanding of the interface between both conditions is imperative for developing optimal strategies for their detection, prevention, diagnosis, and management. To this end, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) convened an international, multidisciplinary Controversies Conference titled Heart Failure in CKD. Breakout group discussions included (i) HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and nondialysis CKD, (ii) HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and nondialysis CKD, (iii) HFpEF and dialysis-dependent CKD, (iv) HFrEF and dialysis-dependent CKD, and (v) HF in kidney transplant patients. The questions that formed the basis of discussions are available on the KDIGO website http://kdigo.org/conferences/heart-failure-in-ckd/, and the deliberations from the conference are summarized her