Effects of Dapagliflozin on Hospitalizations in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Post Hoc Analysis of DAPA-CKD

Background: Acute hospitalizations are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and often lead to decreases in health-related quality of life and increased care costs. Objective: To determine the effects of dapagliflozin on first hospitalizations and all (first and subsequent) hospitalizations and to explore effects on cause-specific hospitalizations. Design: Post hoc analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03036150) Setting: 386 ambulatory practice sites in 21 countries from 2 February 2017 through 12 June 2020. Participants: Adults with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 25 to 75 mL/min/1.73 m² and a urinary albumin–creatinine ratio of 200 to 5000 mg/g, with and without type 2 diabetes. Intervention: Dapagliflozin, 10 mg once daily, or matching placebo (1:1 ratio). Measurements: The effects of dapagliflozin on first hospitalizations for any cause, all hospitalizations, and cause-specific (first and recurrent) hospitalizations were determined. The reported system organ class was used to evaluate reasons for admission. Hospitalizations were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models (first hospitalization), the Lin–Wei–Yang–Ying method (all hospitalizations or death), and negative binomial models (cause-specific hospitalizations). Results: The study included 4304 patients (mean age, 61.8 years; 33.1% women). During a median follow-up of 2.4 years, 2072 hospitalizations were reported among 1224 (28.4%) participants. Compared with placebo, dapagliflozin reduced risk for a first hospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.75 to 0.94]) and all hospitalizations or death (rate ratio, 0.79 [CI, 0.70 to 0.89]). There was no evidence that the effects of dapagliflozin on first and all hospitalizations varied by baseline presence of type 2 diabetes (P for interaction= 0.60 for each). Compared with placebo, dapagliflozin reduced the rate of admissions due to cardiac disorders, renal and urinary disorders, metabolism and nutrition disorders, and neoplasms. Limitations: This was a post hoc analysis and should be viewed as hypothesis-generating. Hospitalizations and causes were reported by site investigators and were not centrally adjudicated. Conclusion: Dapagliflozin reduced the risk for hospitalization for any cause in patients with CKD with and without type 2 diabetes.