This Medudy course is a video podcast for physicians on the 2026 ESC guidelines regarding cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease. Prof. Dr. Michael Böhm and Prof. Dr. Norbert Frey explain why a systematic consideration of the heart-kidney axis is increasingly crucial for risk assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The focus is on determining eGFR and albuminuria, identifying previously underestimated high-risk patients, and determining when concurrent nephrological care is necessary. In addition, the experts discuss blood pressure targets in CKD, the use of contrast agents in urgent interventions, and nephro- and cardioprotective therapy with SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone. Specific recommendations for implementing urine diagnostics and for interdisciplinary care translate the guidelines’ content into everyday clinical practice.
Note: All "speakers" appearing in the Medudy videos are AI-based avatars used to improve the didactics of the videos. The people on whom the avatars are based have explicitly consented to their use. All content is based on high-quality scientific sources and is created and reviewed by the Medudy medical team.
By the end of this course, you will know:
- The importance of the bidirectional heart-kidney axis for diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment.
- The role of eGFR and the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio in identifying high-risk cardiovascular and renal patients.
- Clinical presentations in which a nephrological or interdisciplinary evaluation is indicated.
- the recommendations regarding blood pressure targets and the use of urgent contrast-enhanced imaging in patients with impaired kidney function.
- the role of SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone in cardio- and nephroprotective treatment, as well as the importance of their early combined use.
- The classification of an initial decline in eGFR during therapy aimed at improving prognosis, and criteria for further evaluation.
- Practical ways to implement albuminuria diagnostics and the resulting treatment decisions in hospitals and private practices.
