CME/CE

This activity examines the evolving role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in treating exudative retinal diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Experts discuss limitations of current anti-VEGF therapies, emphasizing challenges with durability and adherence. The series further explores TKI mechanisms and their formulation into sustained-release delivery systems. Detailed overviews of clinical programs (eg, LUGANO, LUCIA, SOL-1, SOL-R) highlight ongoing phase 3 studies evaluating efficacy and treatment intervals. Real-world case discussions further illustrate patient types who may benefit from these investigational agents. The conversation concludes with considerations for integrating TKIs into future practice.

*Please stay tuned for additional content to this activity available for credit. The maximum amount of credit(s) available for the entire activity is 0.75.

This activity examines the evolving role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in treating exudative retinal diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Experts discuss limitations of current anti-VEGF therapies, emphasizing challenges with durability and adherence. The series further explores TKI mechanisms and their formulation into sustained-release delivery systems. Detailed overviews of clinical programs (eg, LUGANO, LUCIA, SOL-1, SOL-R) highlight ongoing phase 3 studies evaluating efficacy and treatment intervals. Real-world case discussions further illustrate patient types who may benefit from these investigational agents. The conversation concludes with considerations for integrating TKIs into future practice.

*Please stay tuned for additional content to this activity available for credit. The maximum amount of credit(s) available for the entire activity is 0.75.

Professor Jonathan Barratt illustrates the integration of shared decision-making in the management of IgA nephropathy while interacting with a real patient with IgAN, highlighting how patient-centered conversations about proteinuria, GFR, and blood pressure can guide individualized treatment strategies. Emphasis is placed on explaining diagnostic findings such as the Oxford MEST-C score, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating emerging therapeutic options, including SGLT2 inhibitors, RAS blockade, budesonide, and sparsentan. Considerations around lifestyle, medication adherence, side effects, and life planning—such as employment and family planning—are explored. This dialogue-driven format demonstrates how collaborative care supports sustainable treatment adherence and improves patient engagement.

Drs. Steven Fishbane and Maurizio Gallieni discuss chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP), a prevalent and under-recognized complication of CKD. They review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment strategies supported by pivotal phase 3 trials and new European S2k guidelines, including the use of difelikefalin, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist. Additional insights from biomarker analyses in the KALM studies underscore the link between inflammation and pruritus severity, suggesting a dual mechanism of action for difelikefalin. The program emphasizes the importance of actively screening for CKD-aP and using validated tools to assess symptom burden in clinical practice.

Using a real-world patient case, Drs. Ellie Kelepouris and Nihar Desai examine clinical challenges in managing hyperkalemia among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure (HF). They explore the use of modern potassium binders to sustain guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) with renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors and break down the differences between patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC). Their discussion includes guideline recommendations from KDIGO and European societies, the sodium-related safety signals with SZC, and supporting data from trials such as REALIZE-K and DIAMOND. Findings from the CARE-HK registry are also discussed, highlighting low potassium binder use despite high rates of recurrent hyperkalemia and underutilization of GDMT in advanced CKD.

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have not experienced a recent worsening event pose a major clinical challenge: persistent and under-recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk. Recent findings show that these patients carry significant annual rates of CV death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization, despite adherence to quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and device support. For cardiologists, the challenge is twofold: accurately identifying high-risk individuals without overt clinical deterioration and knowing when and how to intensify therapy in patients who appear stable but remain vulnerable. Recent data show that soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) may provide significant reductions in CV death and all-cause mortality, particularly in individuals with moderately elevated NT-proBNP (≤6,000 pg/mL). These findings are especially important because this population is far more common in routine cardiology practice and has historically been overlooked in discussions of additional therapy. However, cardiologists often underestimate risk in these ambulatory patients and may hesitate to add therapies when GDMT appears to be working well. Tune in to learn best practices for patient selection and the implementation of added sGC therapy.

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have not experienced a recent worsening event pose a major clinical challenge: persistent and under-recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk. Recent findings show that these patients carry significant annual rates of CV death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization, despite adherence to quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and device support. For cardiologists, the challenge is twofold: accurately identifying high-risk individuals without overt clinical deterioration and knowing when and how to intensify therapy in patients who appear stable but remain vulnerable. Recent data show that soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) may provide significant reductions in CV death and all-cause mortality, particularly in individuals with moderately elevated NT-proBNP (≤6,000 pg/mL). These findings are especially important because this population is far more common in routine cardiology practice and has historically been overlooked in discussions of additional therapy. However, cardiologists often underestimate risk in these ambulatory patients and may hesitate to add therapies when GDMT appears to be working well. Tune in to learn best practices for patient selection and the implementation of added sGC therapy.

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have not experienced a recent worsening event pose a major clinical challenge: persistent and under-recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk. Recent findings show that these patients carry significant annual rates of CV death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization, despite adherence to quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and device support. For cardiologists, the challenge is twofold: accurately identifying high-risk individuals without overt clinical deterioration and knowing when and how to intensify therapy in patients who appear stable but remain vulnerable. Recent data show that soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) may provide significant reductions in CV death and all-cause mortality, particularly in individuals with moderately elevated NT-proBNP (≤6,000 pg/mL). These findings are especially important because this population is far more common in routine cardiology practice and has historically been overlooked in discussions of additional therapy. However, cardiologists often underestimate risk in these ambulatory patients and may hesitate to add therapies when GDMT appears to be working well. Tune in to learn best practices for patient selection and the implementation of added sGC therapy.

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have not experienced a recent worsening event pose a major clinical challenge: persistent and under-recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk. Recent findings show that these patients carry significant annual rates of CV death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization, despite adherence to quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and device support. For cardiologists, the challenge is twofold: accurately identifying high-risk individuals without overt clinical deterioration and knowing when and how to intensify therapy in patients who appear stable but remain vulnerable. Recent data show that soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) may provide significant reductions in CV death and all-cause mortality, particularly in individuals with moderately elevated NT-proBNP (≤6,000 pg/mL). These findings are especially important because this population is far more common in routine cardiology practice and has historically been overlooked in discussions of additional therapy. However, cardiologists often underestimate risk in these ambulatory patients and may hesitate to add therapies when GDMT appears to be working well. Tune in to learn best practices for patient selection and the implementation of added sGC therapy.

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have not experienced a recent worsening event pose a major clinical challenge: persistent and under-recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk. Recent findings show that these patients carry significant annual rates of CV death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization, despite adherence to quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and device support. For cardiologists, the challenge is twofold: accurately identifying high-risk individuals without overt clinical deterioration and knowing when and how to intensify therapy in patients who appear stable but remain vulnerable. Recent data show that soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) may provide significant reductions in CV death and all-cause mortality, particularly in individuals with moderately elevated NT-proBNP (≤6,000 pg/mL). These findings are especially important because this population is far more common in routine cardiology practice and has historically been overlooked in discussions of additional therapy. However, cardiologists often underestimate risk in these ambulatory patients and may hesitate to add therapies when GDMT appears to be working well. Tune in to learn best practices for patient selection and the implementation of added sGC therapy.