European guidelines link heart, kidney, and weight health

New joint guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Renal Association (ERA) establish a direct connection between cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and body weight. The guidelines recommend that following any new diagnosis of heart disease, clinicians should always evaluate kidney function through blood tests for glomerular filtration rate and urine tests for the albumin/creatinine ratio.

Approximately 100 million people in Europe live with chronic kidney disease, and these individuals face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular complications. Obesity serves as a central link between these conditions. Recent data also highlights the role of GLP-1 medications, such as semaglutide, which are recommended alongside finerenone for patients with type 2 diabetes, CKD, and albuminuria to reduce cardiovascular risk and slow kidney damage.

Patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease face particularly high risks of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Currently, there is a scarcity of specific data regarding the safety and efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs and ablation therapies for this complex patient group, often requiring clinicians to extrapolate protocols from trials conducted on different populations.