Matthew Weir, MD: Prioritizing Cardiovascular Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease

In this expert interview at the 22nd Annual World Congress Insulin Resistance Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC), Matthew Weir, MD, an attending physician and director of the division of nephrology in the department of medicine at the University of Maryland, emphasized the critical need for clinicians to prioritize cardiovascular risk management in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).¹

Highlighting that most CKD patients succumb to cardiovascular disease rather than kidney failure, Weir focused on the importance of early detection through estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) screening. This enables earlier intervention targeting hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, with goals such as blood pressure <130/80 mmHg, HbA1c <7%, and LDL cholesterol <55 mg/dL. He also underscored the necessity of comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction over solely delaying CKD progression.

Looking to the future, Weir highlighted the transformative role of new therapies in cardio-renal disease management, including SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. These agents, used alongside traditional renin-angiotensin system blockers, represent a multimodal strategy to mitigate both cardiovascular events and CKD progression. Additionally, he noted the meeting’s focus on the interplay of dysmetabolism, inflammation, and their impact on vascular and organ health, with emerging insights into sleep, diet, exercise, and novel therapeutics offering exciting avenues for improving outcomes.

Weir concluded with a call to action for clinicians to integrate these advanced therapies into practice while maintaining a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to CKD care. This paradigm shift aims to address systemic risks and comprehensively improve long-term patient health.

Disclosures: Relevant disclosures for Weir include AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson, NovoNordisk, and others.

Reference

_{Weir M. Chronic Kidney Disease: Should We Worry about the Heart or Progression to ESKD. Presented at the 22nd Annual World Congress Insulin Resistance Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC). Los Angeles, California. December 12-14, 2024.}