Cited by 1,814Chronic Kidney Disease and DiabetesHormonal Regulation and HypertensionHeart Failure Treatment and Management

Cardiovascular events with finerenone in kidney disease and type 2 diabetes

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Pitt, Bertram, Filippatos, Gerasimos, Agarwal, Rajiv, Anker, Stefan D., Bakris, George L., Rossing, Peter, Joseph, Amer, Kolkhof, Peter +3 more·2021·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Finerenone, a selective nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, has favorable effects on cardiorenal outcomes in patients with predominantly stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) with severely elevated albuminuria and type 2 diabetes. The use of finerenone in patients with type 2 diabetes and a wider range of CKD is unclear. METHODS: (stage 1 or 2 CKD). Patients were treated with renin-angiotensin system blockade that had been adjusted before randomization to the maximum dose on the manufacturer's label that did not cause unacceptable side effects. The primary outcome, assessed in a time-to-event analysis, was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. The first secondary outcome was a composite of kidney failure, a sustained decrease from baseline of at least 40% in the eGFR, or death from renal causes. Safety was assessed as investigator-reported adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 7437 patients underwent randomization. Among the patients included in the analysis, during a median follow-up of 3.4 years, a primary outcome event occurred in 458 of 3686 patients (12.4%) in the finerenone group and in 519 of 3666 (14.2%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 0.98; P = 0.03), with the benefit driven primarily by a lower incidence of hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90). The secondary composite outcome occurred in 350 patients (9.5%) in the finerenone group and in 395 (10.8%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.01). The overall frequency of adverse events did not differ substantially between groups. The incidence of hyperkalemia-related discontinuation of the trial regimen was higher with finerenone (1.2%) than with placebo (0.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes and stage 2 to 4 CKD with moderately elevated albuminuria or stage 1 or 2 CKD with severely elevated albuminuria, finerenone therapy improved cardiovascular outcomes as compared with placebo. (Funded by Bayer; FIGARO-DKD ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02545049.).

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  • In FIGARO-DKD, there was a 36% reduction in kidney failure: 0.9% vs. 1.3% in the placebo group (HR 0.64 [95% CI 0.41-0.995]).

    “Of the secondary outcomes, the most noteworthy was a 36% reduction in kidney failure: 0.9% vs. 1.3% in the placebo group (HR 0.64 [95% CI 0.41-0.995]).”

    From 11. Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 (2026) · cites this paper as [144]

    Figure 2 distinguishes kidney failure from end-stage kidney disease. The claimed 0.9% versus 1.3% and hazard ratio of 0.64 are for end-stage kidney disease; kidney failure was 1.2% versus 1.7%, with a hazard ratio of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.49–1.05). (LLM, conf=0.89)

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  • In patients with diabetic kidney disease and increased albuminuria, large placebo-controlled trials have shown that RAS inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, and finerenone each reduced the risk of progression to kidney failure.

    “In patients with diabetic kidney disease with increased levels of albuminuria, large placebo-controlled trials have shown that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors,3–5 sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors,6,7 and the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone8,9 all reduced the risk of progression to kidney failure.”

    From Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (2023) · cites this paper as [9]

    For the finerenone portion of the sentence, the Discussion reports fewer cases of end-stage kidney disease with finerenone than with placebo. But the Secondary and Exploratory Outcomes section says the prespecified kidney composite outcome did not differ significantly between groups; the trial therefore does not unqualifiedly establish a reduced risk of progression to kidney failure. The RAS- and SGLT2-inhibitor claims have separate citations and are not judged against this paper. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • In FIGARO-DKD, there was a higher incidence of hyperkalemia in the finerenone group, 10.8% vs. 5.3%, although only 1.2% of the 3,686 individuals on finerenone stopped the study due to hyperkalemia.

    “There was a higher incidence of hyperkalemia in the finerenone group, 10.8% vs. 5.3%, although only 1.2% of the 3,686 individuals on finerenone stopped the study due to hyperkalemia.”

    From 11. Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025 (2025) · cites this paper as [126]

    The Safety Outcomes and Vital Signs section reports hyperkalemia in 10.8% of finerenone patients versus 5.3% of placebo patients, and permanent discontinuation of the trial regimen in 1.2% of finerenone patients. The Results section gives 3,686 patients in the finerenone analysis group. The paper says those patients stopped the regimen, not that they stopped participating in the study. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • The FIGARO-DKD outcome trial demonstrates a significant relationship between reduction in moderately increased albuminuria and reduction in cardiovascular risk.

    “The Finerenone in Reducing Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) outcome trial (460) demonstrates a significant relationship between reduction in moderately increased albuminuria and reduction in cardiovascular risk.”

    From Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus (2023) · cites this paper as [460]

    The Results report a significant reduction in cardiovascular events with finerenone, and Secondary and Exploratory Outcomes report a greater reduction in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio than with placebo. The paper does not demonstrate a significant relationship between the *reduction in albuminuria* and the *reduction in cardiovascular risk*; it reports them as separate outcomes. The trial also included patients with severely, as well as moderately, elevated albuminuria. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • In the FIGARO-DKD trial, discontinuation of trial regimen was higher among those on finerenone than placebo (1.2% vs. 0.4%).

    “Discontinuation of trial regimen was higher among those on fi nerenone than placebo (1.2% vs. 0.4%).”

    From KDIGO 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Management in Chronic Kidney Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [164]

    The Results and Safety Outcomes sections report 1.2% versus 0.4% for discontinuation specifically due to hyperkalemia, not discontinuation overall. The Patients section says overall premature discontinuation was balanced between groups (27.4% versus 27.7%). (LLM, conf=0.90)

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Authors
Pitt, B., Filippatos, G., Agarwal, R., Anker, S. D., Bakris, G. L., Rossing, P., Joseph, A., Kolkhof, P., Nowack, C., Schloemer, P., & Ruilope, L. M.
Affiliations
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2021-12-09
Volume
385
Issue
24
Pages
2252-2263
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W3194763937
Cited by
1,814
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 439 · 2025: 435 · 2024: 331 · 2023: 315 · 2022: 250 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1
FWCI
160.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • National University of Singapore (submittedVersion)
  • ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica (Universidad Europea) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • PuSH - Publication Server of Helmholtz Zentrum München (submittedVersion)
  • VUBIR (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Bayer (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02545049)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Nephrology › Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal Regulation and Hypertension
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Failure Treatment and Management
Keywords
mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular events, heart failure hospitalization, albuminuria, renin-angiotensin system blockade, hyperkalemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate decline, renal failure, cardiorenal outcomes, FIDELIO-DKD
MeSH terms
Aged, Albuminuria, Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Double-Blind Method, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Naphthyridines, Proportional Hazards Models, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

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