Overhydration: A cause or an effect of kidney damage and how to treat it

Abstract

Volume overload can be both the cause and effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Overhydration often accompanies renal insufficiency. In cardiovascular disease (CVD), fluid overload can also be the cause of renal function impairment. Beside salt restriction, loop diuretics are the first-line therapy. Frequently developed resistance can be overcome by switching to intravenous administration, adding albumin alone or in combination with other diuretics. Transient factors like infection or contrast media can impair diuretic response and contribute to congestion. Apart from conservative management, ultrafiltration (UF) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) are used. In huge congestion with inadequate diuretic effect, hemodialysis with UF plays an important role as a temporary or permanent remedy. An increasing amount of data indicates that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have allowed for a breakthrough in controlling fluid volume in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with CKD. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors show cardio- and renoprotective effects and have a positive impact on hard cardiovascular and renal endpoints.