May 2023
International Consensus on Standardized Clinic Blood Pressure Measurement – A Call to Action
KDIGO is pleased to share that the International Consensus on Standardized Clinic Blood Pressure Measurement − A Call to Action is now published in The American Journal of Medicine. This joint statement was developed in collaboration with representatives from 13 worldwide organizations involved in guideline development or implementation efforts in blood pressure (BP) management.

High BP is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease worldwide, and lowering BP substantially reduces that risk and improves patient outcomes. Clinical practice guidelines and position statements have strongly recommended and provided detailed protocols for standardized office BP measurement for decades. Yet, standardized BP measurement is not implemented in most clinical practices. Recognizing that effective BP management relies primarily on accurate BP measurement, these 13 scientific health organizations collaborated on a joint statement with the goal of emphasizing the importance of, and introducing a pragmatic approach to, standardized clinic BP measurement in clinical practice.

“Many patients, clinical practices, and agencies do not appreciate the importance of standardization in blood pressure measurement,” said Alfred Cheung, MD, a co-author of the statement. “The necessary steps are often considered time-consuming and unnecessary, even though they are essential to managing hypertension. We hope to show in this statement that it is both possible and practical to streamline clinic workflows in a way that minimizes the amount of time required to perform standardized BP measurements.”
The joint statement is based on a consensus among guideline developers, implementation scientists, and clinicians. The statement aims to balance the rigor of BP measurement techniques used in all hypertension outcome trials with the practicality of daily clinical practice. 

“We believe that a simplified, standardized BP measurement protocol will lead to wider adoption in daily practice, with minimal compromise in measurement accuracy and reliability,” said co-author, Johannes Mann, MD (DE). “The goal of this joint statement is to ensure that healthcare organizations, healthcare professionals, and patients can have greater confidence that the BP measurements used to guide management will improve clinical outcomes.

“KDIGO is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such prestigious organizations on this important statement,” said KDIGO CEO, John Davis. “We hope this statement facilitates changes in clinical practice that will directly impact improved care for all people, not only those with kidney disease, worldwide.”
KDIGO 2023 ANCA Guideline Available for Public Review
KDIGO is updating the 2021 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Glomerular Diseases on an ongoing, chapter-by-chapter basis. The KDIGO 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Antineutrophilic Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) is now available for public review. We invite you to review this guideline chapter update and share your candid comments and suggestions. Based on your input, we will prepare a final revised version for publication. We kindly request that you submit your feedback no later than Monday, May 29.

Visit the KDIGO Glomerular Diseases Guideline website to download the guideline and to submit comments via the survey link.
Home Dialysis Conference Report Published in Kidney International
The KDIGO Home Dialysis Controversies Conference Report is now available and published in the May issue of Kidney International. This virtual Controversies Conference, the third in the KDIGO dialysis series, was co-chaired by Jeffrey Perl, MD (Canada), and Martin Wilkie, MD (United Kingdom) in May 2021.

Home dialysis modalities are associated with greater patient autonomy and treatment satisfaction and in many cases improved clinical outcomes and quality of life. “Everyone who faces dialysis should have access to home therapy,” said Dr. Perl. “Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, uptake is low, and access is influenced by a range of factors. There is a pressing need to develop and implement low-cost self-management dialysis and methods for evaluating its effectiveness. Ensuring equitable access to home therapies regardless of sociodemographic and socioeconomic status will require alignment of health policy considerations and resources. While the barriers are significant, we can improve global access to home dialysis with clear leadership from informed and motivated clinical teams.”
To address the relative underutilization of home dialysis therapies, globally, the conference aimed to identify approaches and strategies that expand the use of home dialysis, with consideration toward escalating related costs. The conference also addressed the impact of increasing home dialysis access on clinical and patient-reported outcomes and how best to improve the home dialysis experience for individuals and care partners.

“Most dialysis patients receive treatment at centers where it is not standard procedure to train people to manage their dialysis at home,” said Dr. Wilkie. “There is now substantial evidence that people with long-term conditions who are more involved in their own care have better outcomes. More effective systems for informing and involving dialysis patients in their treatment will help drive change worldwide.” The conference report will serve as an important resource, to help facilitate much-needed development and evaluation of local initiatives that improve access to home dialysis therapy.

The conference report is available in the May 2023 print edition of Kidney International and on the Kidney International and KDIGO websites.
KDIGO at KSN 2023
KDIGO was delighted and honored to attend the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Korean Society of Nephrology (KSN 2023) in Seoul, South Korea in late April 2023.

KDIGO Co-Chair Elect, Morgan Grams, MD (United States), and Andrew Mallett, MD (Australia) spoke at a session moderated by Jung-Im Shin (South Korea). The session covered outcomes from the 2021 KDIGO Controversies Conference on Genetics in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) as well as the latest advances in genetics and precision medicine.
Upcoming Events
SLANH Congress 2023
May 17-20, Cordoba, Argentina

The preliminary program is now available for the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrologia e Hipertensión (SLANH) 2023 Congress, which will be held in at the Quinto Centario Hotel in Cordoba, Argentina, from May 17 - 20.
SLANH 2023 will feature an incredible program of experts covering a wide range of topics on kidney disease and hypertension. Learn more and register.
ISN-KDIGO Genomics and Genetics in CKD Webinar
May 22 at 5:00 PM CEST

In the future, genomics and genetics may be used to develop personalized treatment plans for patients with CKD based on their genetic and molecular profiles. It is an exciting area of research that has the potential to greatly improve our understanding and treatment of CKD. On May 22, KDIGO and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) will co-host a webinar on this topic. The webinar will be moderated by Julia Höfele (Germany) and features speakers, Matthias Kretzler (United States) and York Pei (Canada). Learn more and register.
New Resources
KDIGO Conversations in Nephrology Podcast: New AAV Series

New episodes of the KDIGO Conversations in Nephrology Podcast are now available on all major podcast platforms! Hosted by Vladimir Tesar, MD (Czech Republic), Episodes 10-12 focus on anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and feature conversations with Duvuru Geetha, MD (United States), David Jayne, MD (United Kingdom), and Michael Walsh, MD (Canada).

Conversations in this series include:
  • Episode 10: Challenges in the Early Diagnosis of AAV
  • Episode 11: Recent Progress in the Treatment of AAV and its Impact on the Outcome of the Patients
  • Episode 12: Is There Still Any Role for Plasma Exchange in AAV?

Russian Translation: KDIGO Consensus Conference on Harmonizing Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease Definition and Classification Conference Report

The Russian translation of the conference report from the KDIGO Consensus Conference on Harmonizing Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease Definition and Classification is now available.

The purpose of this conference was to review the evidence to date and develop a definition, classification, and management recommendations for acute kidney disease that are harmonized with the current definitions, classification, and management recommendations for acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. The conference also identified the key areas of research required to fully understand the relationships between these entities. Read the translation or learn more about the conference.
About KDIGO

KDIGO is a Belgian foundation committed to developing and implementing nephrology guidelines that improve patient outcomes on a global basis. KDIGO is independent, volunteer-led, self-managed, and accountable to the public and the people it serves. Learn More.