Effectiveness of Pharmacist Interventions on Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With CKD: A Subgroup Analysis of the Randomized Controlled RxEACH Trial

Background: Affecting a substantial proportion of adults, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events. It has been reported that patients with CKD are underserved when it comes to CV risk reduction efforts. Study Design: Prespecified subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Setting & Participants: Adults with CKD and at least 1 uncontrolled CV risk factor were enrolled from 56 pharmacies across Alberta, Canada. Intervention: Patient, laboratory, and individualized CV risk assessments; treatment recommendations; prescription adaptation(s) and/or initiation as necessary; and regular monthly follow-up for 3 months. Outcomes: The primary outcome was change in estimated CV risk from baseline to 3 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes were change between baseline and 3 months after randomization in individual CV risk factors (ie, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A(1c)), risk for developing end-stage renal disease, and medication use and dosage; tobacco cessation 3 months after randomization for those who used tobacco at baseline; and the impact of rural versus urban residence on the difference in change in estimated CV risk. Measurements: CV risk was estimated using the Framingham, UK Prospective Diabetes Study, and international risk assessment equations depending on the patients' comorbid conditions. Results: 290 of the 723 participants enrolled in R(x)EACH had CKD. After adjusting for baseline values, the difference in change in CV risk was 20% (P < 0.001). Changes of 0.2 mmol/L in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration (P = 0.004), 10.5 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), 0.7% in hemoglobin A(1c) concentration (P < 0.001), and 19.6% in smoking cessation (P = 0.04) were observed when comparing the intervention and control groups. There was a larger reduction in CV risk in patients living in rural locations versus those living in urban areas. Limitations: The 3-month follow-up period can be considered relatively short. It is possible that larger reduction in CV risk could have been observed with a longer follow up period. Conclusions: This subgroup analysis demonstrated that a community pharmacy-based intervention program reduced CV risk and improved control of individual CV risk factors. This represents a promising approach to identifying and managing patients with CKD that could have important public health implications.