Current antihypertensive treatment and treatment-resistant hypertension in Japanese patients with chronic kidney disease

Background Hypertension is an important prognostic predictor in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the recommended target blood pressure has been continuously revised. This study aimed to reveal the current antihypertensive practices in Japanese patients with CKD. Methods In the Fukuoka Kidney disease Registry, we extracted 3664 non-dialysis-dependent patients with CKD. Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) was defined as a failure of blood-pressure control treated with three antihypertensive medication classes or a treatment with >= 4 classes regardless of blood pressure. The blood-pressure control complied with the target blood pressure recommended by the KDIGO 2012 guideline. Results The median age of the patients was 67 years, body mass index (BMI) was 23 kg/m(2), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 40 mL/min/1.73 m(2). The number of patients with unachieved blood-pressure control was 1933, of whom 26% received >= 3 classes of antihypertensive medications. The first choice of medication was renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, followed by calcium-channel blockers. The rate of thiazide use was low in all CKD stages (3-11%). The prevalence of aTRH was 16%, which was significantly associated with BMI (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] per 1-standard deviation change, 1.38 [1.25-1.53]), decreased eGFR (1.87 [1.57-2.23]), as well as age, diabetes mellitus, and chronic heart disease. Conclusions Renal dysfunction and obesity are important risk factors of aTRH. Even under nephrologist care, most patients were treated with insufficient antihypertensive medications. It is important to prescribe sufficient classes of antihypertensive medications, including diuretics, and to improve patients' lifestyle habits.