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What's New
PubMed · December 31, 2026
Researchers found that eating a low-protein diet helped people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste — by improving blood sugar control and lowering the levels of harmful waste products in the blood that damaged kidneys can't clear out. The diet also triggered a rise in a hormone called FGF21, which helps the body adapt to eating less protein, though this same hormone may also cause some muscle loss, which is a concern for people with CKD who already need to protect their strength. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · December 1, 2026
This research looked at two blood thinners — Eliquis (apixaban) and Xarelto (rivaroxaban) — compared to an older blood thinner called warfarin, in people who have atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat that raises stroke risk) and are on dialysis due to serious kidney disease. The study found that Eliquis and Xarelto were linked to lower rates of dangerous bleeding, stroke, and death compared to warfarin in this group, which is a meaningful safety and effectiveness update for a population that has historically been very difficult to treat. This adds to a growing picture suggesting these newer blood thinners may be a safer option than warfarin for people in this specific situation, though your doctor would weigh all the details before making any decision.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether apixaban might be safer than warfarin for preventing blood clots if the patient have atrial fibrillation and kidney problems.
Medications
PubMed · December 1, 2026
This is about Farxiga (dapagliflozin), a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana, which researchers looked at specifically for people with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter the blood. The study, which combined results from eight earlier studies, found that Farxiga was linked to meaningful improvements in anemia (low red blood cell levels, which causes fatigue and weakness) in people with kidney disease, along with a lower risk of death compared to other treatments. This appears to be a promising new option for managing anemia in kidney disease, a condition where current treatments come with notable safety concerns.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether dapagliflozin might help with anemia that comes from the patient's kidney disease.
Lifestyle
PubMed · December 1, 2026
A large review of 82 studies found that people with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter the blood — who did regular physical exercise were less likely to die, had lower high blood pressure, stronger heart and lung function, and less inflammation in their bodies. The benefit was especially strong for people on dialysis, a treatment that does the kidneys' filtering work for them. The type of exercise studied was structured aerobic activity, things like walking or cycling, done consistently over time — concrete enough that someone could lace up their shoes and take a brisk 20–30 minute walk today.
What's New
PubMed · July 24, 2026
Researchers found that regular exercise — including aerobic activities like walking or cycling, resistance training, or a combination of both — helped people with chronic kidney disease on dialysis in several meaningful ways, including lowering high blood pressure, reducing inflammation, improving physical fitness, and easing symptoms of depression. Different types of exercise seemed to help in different ways, suggesting that the type of movement matters depending on what a person most needs support with. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · July 21, 2026
A study found that finerenone (brand name Kerendia), a type of blood pressure and kidney-protecting pill, may help slow the loss of kidney function in people with chronic kidney disease caused by a group of conditions called glomerular diseases — where the tiny filters inside the kidneys become damaged. Researchers found that people taking finerenone also had reductions in a key marker of kidney stress called albuminuria (protein leaking into the urine), which doctors use to track how well the kidneys are holding up. This appears to be a new finding, since finerenone's benefits in this specific type of kidney disease had not been well understood before.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether finerenone might help slow down the patient's kidney disease if the patient has a glomerular disease.
What's New
JAMA · July 21, 2026
Researchers found that a drug called finerenone may help slow the progression of chronic kidney disease caused by glomerular diseases — conditions where the tiny filtering units inside the kidneys become damaged and stop working properly. This could matter for people with this type of kidney disease because slowing its progression may help protect kidney function over time. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 20, 2026
Researchers found that a nurse-led digital program helped people with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste — learn more about reducing salt in their diet, which matters because too much salt can speed up kidney damage and raise blood pressure. However, the study ran into a practical problem: the main way researchers measured whether people were actually eating less salt (collecting all urine over 24 hours) was so burdensome that most participants didn't complete it, making it hard to know if the program truly worked beyond improving knowledge. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
ScienceDaily · July 16, 2026
A study found that a drug called finerenone may help people with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys slowly lose their ability to filter the body's waste — keep their kidneys working longer and lower the risk of serious kidney and heart problems. This is significant because, until now, people with this form of kidney disease who don't have diabetes have had very few treatment options available to them. Researchers say this could represent a new option worth watching, though anyone interested should speak with their doctor about what it might mean for their own situation.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether finerenone might be something the patient should know about for slowing down kidney function decline and reducing serious kidney complications.
What's New
PubMed · July 16, 2026
Researchers found that smartphone and app-based tools that send people personalized nudges or tips at just the right moment — like when they're most likely to make a poor food choice — may help people eat healthier in their everyday lives. For someone managing obesity, this kind of real-time, tailored support could make it easier to build better habits without relying on memory or willpower alone. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
NEJM · July 15, 2026
A study found that taking fish oil supplements may help reduce serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes in people with chronic kidney disease who are on hemodialysis — a treatment where a machine filters the blood because the kidneys can no longer do it well enough on their own. This matters because people on hemodialysis already face a much higher risk of heart-related complications, so even a modest benefit could be meaningful for this group. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 14, 2026
A study found that in people with type 2 diabetes, managing both blood pressure and blood sugar control together led to better outcomes than managing either one alone — mainly by reducing the chances of dying from serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, and lowering the risk of kidney damage. Researchers used a method that ranked outcomes by seriousness to get a clearer picture of which benefits mattered most, and found that combining both treatments gave a stronger overall benefit than either approach on its own. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 14, 2026
Researchers found that for people with atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) who also had chronic kidney disease (meaning their kidneys weren't filtering blood as well as they should), starting heart rhythm treatment early was linked to a notably lower rate of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes compared to those who received standard care — and the benefit appeared even stronger than in people without kidney disease. This matters because people with kidney disease are often considered a harder-to-treat group, so finding that early rhythm treatment may still help them is an encouraging sign. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 9, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana may offer meaningful benefits for older adults (65 and up) living with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys are damaged but not yet requiring dialysis. Specifically, people taking these medications had a lower risk of their kidney disease getting worse and a lower risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, though they also had a higher chance of developing genital yeast infections as a side effect. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
ScienceDaily · July 7, 2026
A study found that nearly half of takeaway meals contained more salt than their menus claimed, with some single meals packing almost twice the amount of salt a person should have in an entire day. For people with high blood pressure — a condition where too much salt can make things worse by raising pressure in the blood vessels — this kind of hidden salt can be a real concern. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed (Guideline Reviews) · July 7, 2026
According to the Spanish Society of Nephrology's Anemia Working Group, which has adapted the KDIGO 2026 anemia guidelines for use in Spain, people with chronic kidney disease (a long-term condition where the kidneys don't filter blood as well as they should) should be assessed and treated more proactively for iron deficiency and anemia — even before anemia becomes severe. These guidelines matter because anemia in kidney disease is very common and is strongly linked to serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, a lower quality of life, and higher risk of death. Treatment decisions — including whether to use iron infusions, other medications, or a combination — should be tailored to each person's situation, which is why it's especially important for patients to have an open conversation with their doctor about their kidney health and blood levels.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should be tested for iron deficiency and whether intravenous iron might help if the patient has anemia related to kidney disease.
What's New
PubMed · July 4, 2026
Researchers found that a heart failure medication called sacubitril/valsartan (brand name Entresto) may also help protect the kidneys in people with heart failure — reducing the risk of serious kidney decline by roughly 30% compared to other common heart medications. This matters because heart failure and kidney problems often go hand in hand, and a treatment that helps both at the same time could be meaningful for many patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that tirzepatide — a newer diabetes medication that works similarly to a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza but targets two different pathways in the body — appeared to reduce the risk of serious kidney problems more than dulaglutide (another injectable diabetes medication) in people with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease, with the benefit being especially notable in those whose kidneys were already under significant strain. Kidney disease is a common and serious complication of type 2 diabetes, so finding medications that may help protect the kidneys on top of managing blood sugar control is an area of strong interest. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether tirzepatide might protect the patient's kidneys better than dulaglutide based on a recent study comparing these two diabetes medications.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a combination of two medications — vicadrostat and a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — reduced a key marker of kidney damage called albumin in the urine (high levels signal that the kidneys are leaking protein, which is a warning sign of worsening kidney disease). Importantly, this benefit appeared similar whether patients had type 2 diabetes or not, and whether they were carrying extra weight or not, suggesting the treatment may help a broad range of people with chronic kidney disease. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · July 1, 2026
According to the American Diabetes Association guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease are recommended to work toward several health targets — including blood sugar level (A1C), blood pressure, cholesterol, and taking certain diabetes medications like Jardiance or Invokana or a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza — to help lower the risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, as well as kidney complications. The guidelines highlight that meeting more of these targets at the same time is linked to better outcomes overall, meaning fewer hospitalizations and less risk of dangerous complications. This matters because it shows how managing several health goals together, rather than just one at a time, may offer greater protection for people living with both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether finerenone might help protect the patient's kidneys even if the patient isn't meeting all the American Diabetes Association's treatment goals like blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol targets.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found something surprising about a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana called canagliflozin: it seemed to significantly lower the risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes — including hospitalization for heart failure — mainly in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease who were already eating a lower-sodium diet, while offering little of that same heart benefit to those eating higher amounts of salt. This is an unexpected twist, because lower sodium intake is generally thought to be heart-healthy, yet in this study, people eating less sodium actually had a higher risk of heart-related problems when they weren't taking the medication. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana (specifically dapagliflozin) helped the body remove excess fluid just as well in heart failure patients with weaker kidneys as it did in those with stronger kidney function — which was a surprise, since the drug's fluid-removing effect was expected to fade as kidney function declined. Even more reassuring, starting the medication early during a heart failure hospital stay did not appear to harm kidney function. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that eating more plant-based foods while also keeping protein intake moderate might help people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste from the blood — by improving the body's acid balance, which can become disrupted as kidney function declines. A study is testing whether this type of diet is safe, practical, and cost-effective compared to the standard kidney-friendly diet that doctors typically recommend. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a cholesterol-lowering medication called inclisiran reduced LDL cholesterol — often called 'bad' cholesterol — by about 50% in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which means the kidneys aren't working as well as they should. Importantly, this reduction happened consistently regardless of how well or poorly the kidneys were functioning, and no new safety concerns were identified. This matters because people with CKD are already at higher risk for serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, so having a cholesterol treatment that appears to work safely across different stages of kidney disease could be meaningful. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
A study found that women with chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter the blood — have very little research to guide safe birth control choices. A small amount of evidence suggests that birth control pills may not raise blood pressure or worsen kidney disease in some women with this condition, but the overall evidence is thin and based on very few patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a digital program called KidneyTIME — which uses animated videos to teach kidney transplant candidates about getting a kidney from a living donor — helped people learn more about the process and take steps like getting listed for a transplant. People who actually watched the videos were more likely to have someone reach out about donating a kidney to them, which is a big deal because getting a kidney from a living donor often means a shorter wait and better outcomes than waiting for one from a deceased donor. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with kidney disease who received personalized, one-on-one diet counseling over three months felt more confident about their food choices and reported eating better, compared to those who received standard care. However, when researchers actually measured what participants ate using detailed food recalls, the two groups didn't differ much — meaning people felt better about their habits, but it didn't always show up in what they were actually eating. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 30, 2026
Researchers found that dapagliflozin — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — significantly reduced protein leaking into the urine in people with inactive lupus kidney disease, with a 36% reduction compared to just 3.5% in those on standard care alone. This matters because high levels of protein in the urine are a sign that the kidneys are under stress, and reducing it may help protect kidney function over time. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 22, 2026
Researchers found that sulforaphane — a natural compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables — may help shift certain chemical markers in the blood of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste. In a small study of 14 people, those who took a sulforaphane supplement for 30 days showed changes in substances linked to cell damage and poor blood sugar control, suggesting the compound might support the body's natural defenses. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
JAMA · June 16, 2026
A study found that eating less protein may lead to better outcomes for people with chronic kidney disease — a long-term condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste from the blood. This is interesting because the kidneys have to work harder to process protein, so eating less of it may help take some of that strain off. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should eat less protein to help slow down their kidney disease, based on what recent research is showing.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.