The association between apparent treatment resistant hypertension (ATRH) and clinical outcomes is not well studied in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We analyzed data on 3367 hypertensive participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) to determine prevalence, associations, and clinical outcomes of ATRH in non-dialysis CKD patients. ATRH was defined as blood pressure (BP) ≥140/90 mm Hg on ≥3 antihypertensives, or use of ≥4 antihypertensives with BP at goal at baseline visit. Prevalence of ATRH was 40.4%. Older age, male gender, black race, diabetes, and higher BMI were independently associated with higher odds of having ATRH. Participants with ATRH had a higher risk of clinical events compared to participants without ATRH - composite of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and all-cause mortality HR [95% CI]: (1.38 [1.22,1.56]); renal events (1.28 [1.11, 1.46]); CHF (1.66 [1.38, 2.00]); and all-cause mortality (1.24 [1.06,1.45]). The subset of participants with ATRH and BP at goal on ≥ 4 medications also had higher risk for composite of MI, stroke, PAD, CHF, and all-cause mortality HR [95% CI] (1.30 [1.12, 1.51]) and CHF (1.59 [1.28, 1.99]) compared to those without ATRH. ATRH was associated with significantly higher risk for CHF and renal events only among those with eGFR ≥30 ml/min/1.73 m2. Our findings show that ATRH is common and associated with high risk of adverse outcomes in a cohort of patients with CKD. This underscores the need for early identification and management of patients with ATRH and CKD.

Relaxin may have a useful application in decreasing interstitial fibrosis and thereby slowing the progression of renal disease.

Background and objectives Masked hypertension and elevated nighttime BP are associated with increased risk of hypertensive target organ damage and adverse cardiovascular and renal outcomes in patients with normal kidney function. The significance of masked hypertension for these risks in patients with CKD is less well defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between masked hypertension and kidney function and markers of cardiovascular target organ damage, and to determine whether this relationship was consistent among those with and without elevated nighttime BP.Design, setting, participants, & measurements This was a cross-sectional study. We performed 24-hour ambulatory BP in 1492 men and women with CKD enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study. We categorized participants into controlled BP, white-coat, masked, and sustained hypertension on the basis of clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP. We obtained echocardiograms and measured pulse wave velocity in 1278 and 1394 participants, respectively. ResultsThe percentages of participants with controlled BP, white-coat, masked, and sustained hypertension were 49.3%, 4.1%, 27.8%, and 18.8%, respectively. Compared with controlled BP, masked hypertension independently associated with low eGFR (23.2 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ; 95% confidence interval, 25.5 to 20.9), higher proteinuria (+0.9 unit higher in log 2 urine protein; 95% confidence interval, 0.7 to 1.1), and higher left ventricular mass index (+2.52 g/m 2.7 ; 95% confidence interval, 0.9 to 4.1), and pulse wave velocity (+0.92 m/s; 95% confidence interval, 0.5 to 1.3). Participants with masked hypertension had lower eGFR only in the presence of elevated nighttime BP (23.6 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ; 95% confidence interval, 26.1 to 21.1; versus 21.4 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ; 95% confidence interval, 26.9 to 4.0, among those with nighttime BP ,120/70 mmHg; P value for interaction with nighttime systolic BP 0.002).Conclusions Masked hypertension is common in patients with CKD and associated with lower eGFR, proteinuria, and cardiovascular target organ damage. In patients with CKD, ambulatory BP characterizes the relationship between BP and target organ damage better than BP measured in the clinic alone.