Prescribing Patterns in Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Associated Comorbidities

Introduction: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis reported that chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a worldwide prevalence of around 13.4%, underscoring its emergence as a global health concern [1,2]. Alongside CKD, patients are often affected by multiple co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders [2-4] Methodology: A prospective observational study was conducted over six months in the Department of Nephrology at Karuna Medical College Hospital, Chittur, Palakkad. The study enrolled adult participants aged 18 to 70 years with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients were classified into CKD stages G1, G2, G3a, G3b, G4, and G5[5] Results: Table 1 shows the association of CKD stages across various demographic factors, BMI, and comorbidities. There was no statistically significant association between age and CKD stages. Among 188 patients maximum cases were observed in CKD stage V (34.57%), followed by CKD stage IV (27.65%). Table 3 shows that a higher number of patients were prescribed cilnidipine (27.4%), followed by telmisartan (19.0%), and the lowest number of patients were prescribed metolazone (1%), vasopressin (1%), and verapamil (1%). Table 4 shows that a higher number of patients were prescribed insulin (32.25%), followed by linagliptin (28.0%), and the lowest number of patients were prescribed voglibose (0.53%). Conclusion: This study emphasized the complexities involved in treating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly when co-existing health conditions are present. It provided valuable information on current clinical practices and foundational data relevant to managing such patients.