Advancing CKD and Cardiovascular Risk Management Through Diagnostic Testing - Episode 1

Addressing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Prevalence and Patient Awareness in Cardiorenal Metabolic Care

Published on: February 19, 2026

Muthiah Vaduganathan, MD, MPH, Nihar R. Desai, MD, MPH, Pamela Kushner, MD, FAAFP , Craig Beavers, PharmD, FACC, FAHA, FCCP, BCCP, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, CACP

Learn how uACR and eGFR uncover hidden CKD, sharpen cardiovascular risk, and guide patient-friendly conversations for earlier, smarter care.

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EP. 1: Addressing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Prevalence and Patient Awareness in Cardiorenal Metabolic Care

EP. 2: CKD Guidelines and Adherence Across Specialties

Welcome back to another HCPLive Peer Exchange series. In this episode titled, ‘Addressing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Prevalence and Patient Awareness in Cardiorenal Metabolic Care’, the moderator, Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan, leads the conversation about the following questions:

How prevalent is chronic kidney disease (CKD) in your patient population, and which comorbidities most commonly coexist at the time of presentation?

How do you communicate with patients who have type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease and are often unaware of CKD as a comorbidity, and how do you improve their understanding of the associated risks?

Panelists, Dr. Nihar Desai, Dr. Pamela Kushner, and Dr. Craig Beavers, highlight that CKD prevalence in high-risk populations—particularly those with overlapping diabetes, hypertension, and obesity—can reach as high as 20% to 40%, far exceeding the national average. The experts emphasize the "silent" nature of the disease, noting a significant gap between clinical diagnosis and patient awareness, which often leads to emotional distress when the condition is finally disclosed. To improve literacy and empower patients, the speakers advocate for an integrated Cardiorenal Metabolic framework, using proactive testing (such as uACR and eGFR) and gentle, transparent communication to link kidney health directly to cardiovascular outcomes. Finally, they underscore that formalizing a CKD diagnosis is not only vital for individual treatment escalation but also critical for informing public policy and securing community health resources.

In the next episode, ‘CKD Guidelines and Adherence Across Specialties’, panelists will continue their discussion on chronic kidney disease and highlight that while clinical guidelines are remarkably consistent in advocating for the KDIGO "heat map" and combined eGFR/uACR testing, a significant implementation gap remains with only 20% of high-risk patients being properly screened. They argue for a unified "cardiorenal metabolic" ownership model that leverages EHR tools and simplified patient analogies to bridge this gap and prioritize proactive, guideline-directed care.