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Choles e ol-Lowe ing ea men in
Ch onic Kidney Disease: Mul is age
pai wise and Ne wo k Me a-
Analyses
F ancisco He e a-Gómez
1,2, M. Mon se a Chimeno3, Débo a Ma ín-Ga cía4,
F ank Liza aso-so o5, Ál a o Mau ua-B iseño-Meiggs6, Jesús G ande-Villo ia2,
Juan Bus aman e-Mungui a7, E ic Alama ine8, Miquel Vila dell9, Ca los ochoa-sang ado
10
& F. Ja ie Ál a ez
1,11
Pai wise and ne wo k me a-analyses on he ela ionship be ween he e icacy o he use o s a ins
wi h o wi hou eze imibe and educ ions in low-densi y lipop o ein choles e ol (LDLc) and C- eac i e
p o ein (CRP) in pa ien s wi h ch onic kidney disease (CKD) a e p esen ed. In he pai wise me a-
analysis, s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe we e shown o be e icacious in educing majo ad e se
ca dio ascula e en s (MACE) in pa ien s wi h CKD and an es ima ed glome ula il a ion a e (eGFR) o
less han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, in he con ex o bo h p ima y p e en ion [odds a io (OR)/95% con idence
in e al (95% CI)/I2/numbe o s udies (n): 0.50/0.40–0.64/0%/6] and p ima y/seconda y p e en ion
(0.66/0.57–0.76/57%/18). Howe e , in he Bayesian ne wo k me a-analysis, compa ed o he placebo,
only a o as a in 80 mg daily and a o as a in and osu as a in a doses equi alen o sim as a in
20 mg daily educed he odds o MACEs in his pa ien popula ion. The ne wo k me a-analysis o LDLc
and CRP ea men objec i es also showed ha , ega dless o eGFR and excluding dialysis pa ien s,
he numbe o MACEs dec eased in pa ien s wi h CKD, wi h educ ions in bo h LDLc and CRP o less
han 50% (su ace unde he cumula i e anking (SUCRA)/he e ogenei y ( ague)/n: 0.77/0.14/3). The
e alua ion o he bene i s o d ugs may lead o indi idualized he apy o CKD pa ien s: Choles e ol-
lowe ing ea men o CKD pa ien s wi h high le els o bo h LDLc and CRP is sugges ed.
Ca dio ascula disease (CVD) occu s ea ly in indi iduals wi h ch onic kidney disease (CKD)1: In lamma ion
is cen al o he de elopmen o he i s and subsequen CVD e en s in CKD pa ien s (as well as in non-CKD
pa ien s)2 and plays an essen ial ole in linking CVD and kidney unc ion decline1. Howe e , classic p edic-
o s o co ona y and ce eb o ascula e en s seem o pe o m be e in he ea ly s ages o he CKD spec um3.
Impo an ly, in CKD pa ien s, po en ial new ma ke s o CVD e en s ha a e de i ed om analyses o he com-
plex pa hophysiology o CKD ac as independen p ognos ic ac o s4,5. Despi e ad ances in he quali ica ion o
bioma ke s o he use o medicines6, he ansla ion o eal ea men e ec modi ie s o CVD in he CKD pop-
ula ion is needed o e alua e he e ec s o he a ailable he apies7.
1Pha macological Big Da a Labo a o y, Pha macology and he apeu ics, acul y o Medicine, Uni e si y o
Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. 2neph ology, Hospi al Vi gen de la concha – Sanidad de cas illa y León, Zamo a,
Spain. 3in e nal Medicine, Hospi al Vi gen de la concha – Sanidad de cas illa y León, Zamo a, Spain. 4ca dio ascula
isk uni , Hospi al clínico Uni e si a io de Valladolid – Sanidad de cas illa y León, Valladolid, Spain. 5ins i u o de
in es igación de la acul ad de Medicina Humana, Uni e sidad de San Ma ín de Po es, Lima, Pe u. 6Woodland
Medical P ac ice – nHS, Lincolnshi e, Uni ed Kingdom. 7ca diac Su ge y, Hospi al clínico Uni e si a io de Valladolid
– Sanidad de cas illa y León, Valladolid, Spain. 8neph ology, Dialysis and ansplan a ion, cen e Hospi alie
Uni e si ai e de Sain -E ienne, Sain -P ies -en-Ja ez, F ance. 9Medicine, acul y o Medicine, Uni e sidad Au ónoma
de Ba celona, Ba celona, Spain. 10Resea ch uni , Hospi al Vi gen de la concha – Sanidad de cas illa y León,
Zamo a, Spain. 11ceim Á ea de Salud Valladolid es e, Hospi al clínico Uni e si a io de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
Co espondence and eques s o ma e ials should be add essed o F.H.-G. (email: [email p o ec ed])
Recei ed: 25 Oc obe 2018
Accep ed: 5 June 2019
Published: xx xx xxxx
opeN
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The isk o co ona y e en s in pa ien s wi h CKD is high8, and he ela ed e idence is in a o o educing
CVD isk using choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s a egies9. Howe e , he ela ionship be ween se um le els o
low-densi y lipop o ein choles e ol (LDLc) and CVD is mo e di icul o unde s and in he con ex o CKD;
malnu i ion and ch onic in lamma ion a e addi ional ac o s o conside as CKD p og esses, and hese ac o s
inc ease he isk o dea h in CKD pa ien s9.
Cu en con ex and s udy objec i e. The Kidney Disease–Imp o ing Global Ou comes (KDIGO)
guidelines ecommend he use o s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe o adul s 50 yea s o age o olde wi h CKD
and an es ima ed glome ula il a ion a e (eGFR) o lowe han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (KDIGO GFR ca ego ies
G3a o G5) who a e no being ea ed wi h ch onic dialysis o kidney ansplan a ion and no aiming o achie e
speci ic LDLc a ge s10. S a ins a e also ecommended o indi iduals olde han 50 yea s when he eGFR is 60 ml/
min/1.73 m2 o highe (KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G1 o G2).
No ably, in he e alua ion o he impac o choles e ol-lowe ing ea men along he wide spec um o CKD,
an unanswe ed ques ion emains: a e s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe simila ly e icacious in pa ien s wi h an
eGFR lowe han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and in pa ien s wi h an eGFR o 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 o highe ? I no , which
choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s a egies a e he bes o lowe ing CVD isk in pa ien s wi h an eGFR lowe han
60 ml/min/1.73 m2? Fu he mo e, is he ca dio ascula e icacy o s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe ela ed o
educ ions in LDLc and C- eac i e p o ein (CRP) in CKD pa ien s as is he case o LDLc in non-CKD pa ien s?
Con en ional pai wise me a-analysis may be insu icien o answe hese ques ions, as he e icacy be ween mul i-
ple in e en ions ha compa e choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s and placebo/no ea men canno be s udied sep-
a a ely. Only one possibili y exis s based on his echnique: o compa e choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s as a whole
wi h placebo/no ea men . The same concep applies o he educ ion in LDLc and CRP wi h espec o he
sole educ ion in LDLc when me a-analysis on exposu es is pe o med. Ne wo k me a-analysis p o ides a iable
solu ion e en hough some in e en ions/exposu es ha e ne e been compa ed head- o-head in andomized con-
olled ials ha e alua e he ca dio ascula e icacy o s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe in he con ex o CKD.
These mul is age pai wise and ne wo k me a-analyses p esen s (1) a summa y o he e icacy o s a ins wi h o
wi hou eze imibe along he wide spec um o CKD and (2) he ela ion o his ea men o educ ions in LDLc
and CRP wi h he aim o e alua ing he eal impac o choles e ol lowe ing- ea men on CVD in CKD pa ien s.
Resul s
Li e a u e sea ch. Da a om 106 050 pa icipan s om 22 andomized con olled ials (RCT) a e p e-
sen ed he e11–35. Figu e1 p esen s he P e e ed Repo ing I ems o Sys ema ic e iews and Me a-Analyses
(PRISMA) lowcha co esponding o he wo sys ema ic e iews36. I ele an ci a ions we e mos ly in e en-
ional o obse a ional s udies o pa ien s wi h ea ly CKD (KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G1 o G2) ha did no assess
CVD- ela ed ou comes o s udies in ol ing pa ien s wi hou CKD bu a ec ed by o he pa hologies. All o he
ollowing RCTs ha we e eligible a he ea men objec i es e alua ion phase had al eady been included a he
choles e ol-lowe ing ea men e icacy e alua ion phase: The S udy o Hea and Renal P o ec ion (SHARP)17,
he Ai Fo ce/Texas Co ona y A he oscle osis P e en ion s udy (AFCAPS/TexCAPS)23,37, he Collabo a i e
A o as a in Diabe es S udy (CARDS)26,38, and he Jus i ica ion o he Use o S a ins in P ima y P e en ion–an
In e en ion T ial E alua ing Rosu as a in (JUPITER) s udy28,39.
All hese pha maceu ical-indus y-sponso ed ials we e published in pee - e iewed jou nals and co e-
sponded o he phase 3 o 4 e alua ion o a ious s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe, wi h bo h adminis e ed pe
os. Nine een o hese ials sepa a ely assessed pe sons wi h no mal kidney unc ion (NKF)/CKD KDIGO GFR
ca ego ies G1–G2 and pa ien s wi h CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G3a–G5 bu no pa ien s ea ed wi h ch onic
dialysis16–35; 12 o he abo emen ioned s udies we e pos hoc analyses o o he RCTs concei ed o e alua e pa -
icipan s om he gene al popula ion o pa ien s wi h o he pa hologies22–33. Fi e RCTs s udied dialysis pa ien s
(hemodialysis and pe i oneal dialysis modali ies)13–18, and 1 RCT e alua ed pa ien s who unde wen kidney
ansplan a ion11,12. The eligible RCTs a e p esen ed in TableS1.
Choles e ol-lowe ing ea men e icacy e alua ion. Mode a e- o high-quali y ials (TableS2)
indica e ha a o as a in 80 mg daily, sim as a in 20 mg daily combined wi h eze imibe 10 mg daily, sim as a in
20 mg daily and millig am-equi alen doses o lu as a in, a o as a in, osu as a in, p a as a in and lo as a in
all educed he incidence o majo ad e se ca dio ascula e en s (MACEs) in pa ien s wi h CKD KDIGO GFR
ca ego ies G3a–G5 (excluding dialysis pa ien s)16–35. Figu e2a,b shows he pooled odds a ios (OR) and 95%
con idence in e als (95% CI) co esponding o pai wise me a-analysis o all ials conduc ed in his popula ion
(p ima y/seconda y p e en ion; 0.66, 0.57 o 0.76) and hose ha en olled only pa ien s wi hou known CVD
(p ima y p e en ion; 0.50, 0.40 o 0.64). The he e ogenei y (I2) was 57% and 0%, espec i ely. Howe e , Bayesian
ne wo k me a-analysis con i med ha compa ed o placebo, only a o as a in 80 mg daily and a o as a in and
osu as a in a doses equi alen o sim as a in 20 mg daily educed he odds o inciden MACEs when he eGFR
was lowe han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (excluding dialysis pa ien s). The ORs and 95% CIs o he abo emen ioned
ea men s we e 0.35, 0.16 o 0.74; 0.50, 0.26 o 0.92; and 0.67, 0.40 o 0.92, espec i ely. Figu e3 shows a league
able anking all s a ins and he sim as a in/eze imibe combina ion on he basis o he su ace unde he cumu-
la i e anking (SUCRA)40. In he gene a ed ne wo k diag am (Fig.4), he he e ogenei y ( ague) was 0.08 (Fig.5),
and he e was no ele an inconsis ency (Fig.6).
In pe sons wi h NKF/CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G1–G217,22–35 and in dialysis pa ien s13–18, he ORs and
95% CIs o MACEs we e 0.78, 0.71 o 0.85 and 0.95, 0.81 o 1.07, espec i ely (FigsS1 and S2).
T ea men objec i es e alua ion. Se um le els o LDLc and/o CRP dec eased in esponse o ea men
wi h sim as a in 20 mg daily combined wi h eze imibe 10 mg daily17, lo as a in 40 mg daily37, a o as a in 10 mg
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daily38, and osu as a in 20 mg daily39, ega dless o eGFR and his o y o diabe es o CVD. Mos pa ien s wi h
ea ly CKD (eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) had high LDLc le els be o e ea men 17,37–39. A educ ion in CRP o
mo e han 50% was no obse ed. Reduc ions in LDLc and/o CRP o less han 50% we e no ed in pa ien s wi h
CKD in any KDIGO GFR ca ego y37–39.
Pai wise me a-analysis showed ha , ega dless o eGFR and excluding dialysis pa ien s, educ ions in bo h
LDLc and CRP o less han 50%, and educ ions in LDLc (</≥50%) and CRP (<50%) sepa a ely we e associa ed
wi h a low equency o MACEs (FigsS3–S6)17,37–39. Howe e , in he ne wo k me a-analysis, only he combined
educ ion in LDLc and CRP appea ed o ha e he mos p onounced impac on his ou come37–39. The SUCRA was
0.77 (Table1)40. In he ne wo k diag am buil by ea men objec i es (Fig.S7), he he e ogenei y ( ague) was 0.14
(Fig.S8) and he e was no inconsis ency (Fig.S9). Me a- eg ession wi h he combined educ ion in LDLc and
CRP and choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s was no possible gi en he numbe o s udies included41.
Al hough clea de ails we e no ob ained, pos hoc analyses e alua ing he combined educ ion in LDLc and
CRP as p edic o s o u u e MACEs in CKD pa ien s ea ed wi h a s a in o s a in/eze imibe combina ion we e
conduc ed ollowing a e ospec i e bioma ke -s a i ied design ha allowed o he e alua ion o codependen
heal h echnologies (TableS3)37–39.
Discussion
Key messages. S a ins a doses equi alen o sim as a in 20 mg daily (e en conside ing he addi ion o eze-
imibe) and s a ins a highe doses showed simila e icacy in educing MACEs when he eGFR was lowe han
60 ml/min/1.73 m2: Only a o as a in and osu as a in we e associa ed wi h a clea bene i in e ms o MACE
educ ion. I espec i e o eGFR, MACEs we e less equen in pa ien s wi h a mode a e educ ion in LDLc and
CRP han in pa ien s wi h educ ions in ei he o hese wo pa ame e s sepa a ely.
LDLc and/o CRP dec ease as a esul o ea men wi h s a ins alone o in combina ion wi h eze imibe in
CKD pa ien s17,37–39. Howe e , i should no be o go en ha malnu i ion and ch onic in lamma ion appea
quickly once he eGFR is lowe han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 9. As a consequence, he le els o LDLc and o he lipop o-
eins dec ease, esul ing in an inc eased isk o all-cause and CVD mo ali y42. The e alua ion o he bene i s o
s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe along he wide spec um o CKD is hus a eal necessi y.
This s udy ound ha mos pa ien s wi h ea ly-s age CKD (eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) p esen ed wi h high
LDLc le els be o e ea men 17,37–39 and ha he educ ions in LDLc and CRP we e mode a e ega dless o he
Figu e 1. The PRISMA lowcha s p esen ing he selec ion p ocesses used in he wo sys ema ic e iews.
PRISMA, P e e ed Repo ing I ems o Sys ema ic Re iews and Me a-Analyses.
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eGFR o he pa ien s37–39; i is likely ha in he ea ly s ages o CKD, pa ien s de elop high LDLc le els, which
hen dec ease as a esul o he ea men (simila o non-CKD pa ien s). Impo an ly, CRP is mo e di icul o
dec ease in CKD pa ien s, and his becomes e en mo e challenging as he need o dialysis app oaches43: Ou
me a-analy ic calcula ions e ealed ha educ ions in LDLc and CRP, compa ed o he sole educ ion in LDLc,
we e associa ed wi h a low equency o MACEs. In ou opinion, bo h LDLc and CRP should be conside ed o
CKD pa ien s ini ia ing choles e ol-lowe ing ea men , as is cu en ly he case o LDLc o non-CKD pa ien s.
This s udy explo ed which choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s a egies a e he bes o ea ing CVD isk in
his pa icula popula ion. CKD cons i u es he common inal mani es a ion o a cons ella ion o pa hologies
ha a ec kidneys in a ch onic and i e e sible way, so he apies should be adap ed o he complex and in ica e
pa hophysiology esul ing om he inc emen al disease bu den; e idence-based ea men s a egies should hus
be concei ed as a p agma ic op ion o imp o e decision-making o he daily managemen o pa ien s3.
S a ins, in addi ion o lowe ing LDLc le els, exe an i-in lamma o y, an ioxidan , an i-p oli e a i e and
immunomodula o y e ec s, such as in luencing plaque s abili y, no malizing sympa he ic ou low, and p e en -
ing pla ele agg ega ion, among o he pleio opic bene icial e ec s44–46.
The e ec s o s a ins on CVD isk in CKD pa ien s ha e been discussed in he mos ecen sys ema ic e iews
and me a-analyses47–50 and o he p e ious e idence summa ies51–53. Ou esul s a e in line wi h he indings
o hese s udies. In pa icula , ou indings in he Bayesian ne wo k me a-analysis a e consis en wi h hose
ob ained in The Choles e ol T ea men T ialis s (CTT) Collabo a ion me a-analysis o indi idual pa icipan
Figu e 2. The e ec o choles e ol-lowe ing ea men on MACEs when he eGFR is lowe han 60 ml/
min/1.73 m2 (excluding dialysis pa ien s). (a) All ials. (b) P ima y p e en ion ials. CI, con idence in e al;
eGFR, es ima ed glome ula il a ion a e; EZE, eze imibe; M-H, Man el–Haenszel es ; PBO, placebo; SE,
s anda d e o ; STA, s a ins.
Figu e 3. SUCRA-based anking o all s a ins and he combina ion o sim as a in plus eze imibe when he
eGFR is lowe han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (excluding dialysis pa ien s). eGFR, es ima ed glome ula il a ion a e;
SUCRA, su ace unde he cumula i e anking.
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da a published in 2016, which concluded ha he e icacy o s a ins is modes in CKD47. Howe e , ou s udy
canno con i m he e ec on ce eb o ascula e en s ha was p esen ed in a pai wise me a-analysis conduc ed
in 201548, p obably because his ou come was included as a composi e o MACEs in he ials ha we e eligible
o ou me a-analysis. Ou s udy also ound ha no e ec o eze imibe alone can be expec ed in indi iduals wi h
CKD, and his inding is also consis en wi h he a ailable e idence54.
S eng hs and limi a ions. To ou knowledge, his s udy is he i s o p esen a summa y o he e icacy
o s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe in ela ion o educ ions in LDLc and CRP le els along he wide spec um o
CKD. Impo an ly, moni o ing LDLc le els is no longe ecommended by he la es guidelines om he KDIGO
lipid managemen wo k g oup, and i should be ese ed o ins ances in which he esul s would al e he man-
agemen o pa ien ea men 10. Howe e , he KDIGO lipid managemen wo k g oup ecommends a ull lipid
p o ile upon i s p esen a ion (a s a emen made on he basis o low-quali y e idence)10; acco ding o he indings
o his me a-analysis, CRP should be measu ed in addi ion o LDLc be o e ini ia ing choles e ol-lowe ing ea -
men in CKD pa ien s.
Ou app oach gua an ees he p o ision o e idence ha pe inen ly answe s he o mula ed e iew ques ions.
The e idence was ob ained om gene al sou ces o ocused sou ces acco ding o a me hod ha esembles he
“mixed-c i e ia” quali y app aisal me hod o Wo man55. In addi ion, a mul idisciplina y supe ision mechanism
was planned o con ex ualizing he sea ch indings56. Ne e heless, some limi a ions mus be men ioned. Fi s ,
only 3 pos hoc analyses o RCTs including pa ien s wi h and wi hou CKD p o ided e idence o he combined
educ ion in LDLc and CRP in CKD pa ien s37–39. The c i icism agains a ibu ing mo e alue o he ou come
o an unplanned analysis is di icul o igno e57. In addi ion, conside ing ha he e was no possibili y o pe o m
me a- eg ession41, ou esul s should be conside ed p uden ly, pa icula ly conside ing he cu en pauci y o
clinical esea ch on CVD in CKD3, which should highligh he need o mo e esea ch58. Second, publica ion
bias is likely o a ec ou esul s. No unpublished s udies we e ound, bu asymme y in he unnel plo s may be a
discou aging inding. Repo ing bias occu s because signi ican esul s sugges ing a bene icial e ec o in e en-
ions a e mo e likely o be published han nonsigni ican esul s59. Cau ion is hus necessa y when in e p e ing
he manusc ip , and common sense is equi ed when applying ou esul s in o e e yday clinical p ac ice. Finally,
he powe o he ials e alua ing lo as a in and lu as a in was p obably insu icien , esul ing in an inapp op ia e
anking o all s a ins in he ne wo k me a-analysis23,29. Once mo e, cau ion is needed. Fo in la ed associa ions,
being ai wi h he in e p e a ion o he esul s is an impo an conside a ion60.
Conclusion and s udy con ibu ion. In conclusion, s a ins wi h and wi hou eze imibe ha e a modes
e icacy o educing CVD isk in pa ien s wi h CKD and eGFRs lowe han 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. I espec i e o
Figu e 4. Ne wo k diag am o he compe ing choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s a egies (Ma ko chain Mon e
Ca lo simula ion).

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eGFR, i LDLc and CRP le els a e high be o e ea men , educ ions in such pa ame e s a e app op ia e o ob ain
a bene i om choles e ol-lowe ing ea men . In o he wo ds, he use o s a ins should be ini ia ed when le els
o LDLc and CRP a e high o educe he CVD isk o pa ien s. Impo an ly, pa ien s wi h ad anced CKD may
p esen wi h low le els o LDLc. Such pa ien s ha e a highe isk o CVD e en s, much like he isk o pa ien s
p esen ing wi h high le els o LDLc42. The bene i o choles e ol-lowe ing ea men in CKD pa ien s is e iden ,
bu he impac on hose wi h ad anced CKD emains unclea . Finally, in acco dance wi h he cu en guidelines,
a e an ini ial measu emen , moni o ing le els o LDLc is p obably no equi ed o CKD pa ien s10. Howe e ,
Figu e 5. Ne wo k o es plo o he ixed and andom e ec s o he compe ing choles e ol-lowe ing ea men
s a egies. C I, c edible in e als; OR, odds a io.
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CRP should be assessed in addi ion o LDLc be o e ini ia ing choles e ol-lowe ing ea men . E idence-based
ea men s a egies may lead o indi idualized he apies o CKD pa ien s.
Me hods
S udy design, eligibili y c i e ia and sys ema ic sea ches. These mul is age pai wise and ne wo k
me a-analyses we e ca ied ou and epo ed acco ding o he PRISMA guidelines56. Two p o ocols we e egis-
e ed in he In e na ional P ospec i e Regis e o Sys ema ic Re iews (PROSPERO) unde he ollowing egis a-
ion IDs: CRD42017075166 and CRD42017055787. A wo-s age sys ema ic e iew design cons i u es he basis
o ou mul is age app oach58,61. A sys ema ic mapping (choles e ol-lowe ing ea men e icacy e alua ion phase)
ollowed by an in-dep h sys ema ic e iew ( ea men objec i es e alua ion phase) was planned, and he o me
was complemen ed by an independen pa allel one-s age sys ema ic e iew (Ma e ial S1). An expe ad iso y
g oup was o med o con ex ualize he sea ch indings (E.A., F.J.A., J.B.-M. and M.V.).
The e iew ques ions co esponding o each o he 2 sys ema ic e iews and he pa icipan s/popula ion,
in e en ion(s), and compa a o s a e p esen ed in Table2. The p ima y ou come was inciden MACEs, which
included all a al and non a al co ona y e en s, including e ascula iza ion p ocedu es, and all ce eb o ascula
e en s, including ansien ischemic a acks (TIAs). The seconda y ou come was ma e ial codependency when
combining echnologies ela ed o ea men and he po en ial ea men e ec modi ie s o a low equency o
MACEs. The eligible s udies we e all andomized con olled ials (RCTs) wi h ex ended ollow-up pe iods and
pos hoc analysis ha we e ca ied ou on o ha included CKD pa ien s.
In pa allel, published and unpublished li e a u e sou ces we e sea ched a Pha macological Big Da a
Labo a o y, Pha macology and The apeu ics, Facul y o Medicine, Uni e si y o Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
and Cen o de In es igación en Salud Pública, Ins i u o de In es igación de la Facul ad de Medicina Humana,
Uni e sidad de San Ma ín de Po es, Lima, Pe ú h ough Sep embe 2018 acco ding o he homogenous PICO
elemen -based sea ch s a egies ha a e a ailable online om he sys ema ic e iew p o ocols egis e ed in
PROSPERO (Ma e ial S2).
Da a collec ion and analyses. Anonymized da ase s desc ibing cha ac e is ics o he s udies and hei
pa icipan s, in e en ions, compa a o s, ou comes, and ollow-up pe iods we e cons uc ed. Be o e analysis, he
isk o bias in he eligible s udies was assessed using he s anda d ool p oduced by he Coch ane Collabo a ion62.
A wo-s age pai wise and ne wo k me a-analysis o agg ega e-le el da a was planned (C.O.-S. and F.H.-G.).
Howe e , i he e we e no enough da a o i he e was a doub abou he compa abili y o he da a, a wo-s aged
sys ema ic na a i e syn hesis was en isaged63.
Figu e 6. Inconsis ency plo o he andom e ec s o he compe ing choles e ol-lowe ing ea men s a egies.
T ea men objec i es†SUCRA‡
LDLc educ ion < 50% plus CRP
educ ion < 50% 0.7719
LDLc educ ion ≥ 50% 0.6261
LDLc educ ion < 50% 0.5933
CRP educ ion < 50% 0.4995
None 0.0092
Table 1. The anking o he LDLc and CRP ea men objec i es based on SUCRA. †In a Bayesian con ex
(Ma ko chain Mon e Ca lo simula ion), he LDLc and/o CRP ea men objec i es we e he pa ame e s used
o anking acco ding o p obabili ies o being he bes , he second bes , he hi d bes , and so on
=Po b()
,
=…b a1, ,
. ‡SUCRA o each ea men objec i e
o
ou o he
a
compe ing ea men objec i es equi es
calcula ion o he
a
ec o o he cumula i e p obabili ies
cumob,
o be among he
b
bes ea men objec i es,
=…b a1, ,
. Abb e ia ions: CRP, C- eac i e p o ein; LDL-c; low-densi y lipop o ein choles e ol; SUCRA,
su ace unde he cumula i e anking.
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The o e all odds a ios and hei 95% con idence in e als o he ou come o inciden MACEs co espond-
ing o choles e ol-lowe ing ea men (s age 1) and he ea men objec i es o LDLc and/o CRP (s age 2) we e
ob ained (Man el-Haenszel andom-e ec me hod) h ough con en ional pai wise me a-analysis. He e ogenei y
was examined by compu ing he I² s a is ic (inconsis ency) and he χ² s a is ic, and he p esence o epo ing bias
was assessed by isual inspec ion o unnel plo s o he es ima es agains hei s anda d e o s. A calcula ion o he
eg ession coe icien co esponding o choles e ol-lowe ing ea men and he ea men objec i es o LDLc and/
o CRP (s age 2) was planned ( andom-e ec s me a- eg ession). Re iew Manage so wa e (Re Man) e sion 5.3
(Coch ane Collabo a ion) and he ‘me a eg’ mac o om S a a e sion 12.1 (S a aCo p) we e used o conduc he
pai wise me a-analy ic calcula ions and me a- eg ession, espec i ely. Pooled ORs and he co esponding 95%
c edible in e als o inciden MACEs (conside ed a ‘bad’ ou come) we e calcula ed ( andom-e ec s model using
ague p io s wi h co ec ion o ze o alues) ia Bayesian ne wo k me a-analysis (Ma ko chain Mon e Ca lo sim-
ula ion); he compe ing s a egies (s age 1) and ea men objec i es o LDLc and/o CRP (s age 2) we e anked
based on SUCRA (su ace unde he cumula i e anking) a e e i ying con e gence (B ooks-Gelman-Rubin
me hod) and inconsis ency. Ne wo k me a-analysis was pe o med using Ne Me aXL so wa e (Canadian Agency
o D ugs and Technologies in Heal h and Co ne s one Resea ch G oup)64. Analysis o subg oups was planned
a s age 1 (NKF/CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G1–G2, CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G3a–G5, ch onic dialysis,
ansplan a ion) and s age 2 (LDLc educ ion < 50% combined wi h CRP educ ion < 50%, LDLc educ ion <
50%, LDLc educ ion ≥ 50%, CRP educ ion < 50%).
Codependency when combining echnologies ela ed o he ea men and he po en ial ea men e ec mod-
i ie s o a low equency o MACEs (LDLc combined wi h CRP) was assessed using an adap a ion o Me lin’s
ool included in he guidelines o p epa ing a submission o he Pha maceu ical Bene i s Ad iso y Commi ee
(PBAC) om he Depa men o Heal h o Aus alia (F.H.-G. and A.M.-B.-M.)65. The ool sec ions o he eco-
nomic e alua ion and use o he medicine in p ac ice we e no conside ed.
Da a A ailabili y
All da a gene a ed and analyzed du ing his s udy a e included in his published a icle and he supplemen a y
ma e ials.
Re e ences
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Sys ema ic mapping (s age 1)/ sys ema ic e iew suppo In-dep h me a-analysis (s age 2)
Re iew ques ion A e s a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe e icacious in educing
CVD isk in pa ien s wi h CKD?§
A e se um le els o LDLc and CRP
ela ed o CVD e en s in pa ien s wi h
CKD ecei ing ea men wi h s a ins
alone o in combina ion wi h eze imibe?
Pa icipan s/popula ion
Adul indi iduals wi h NKF/CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies
G1–G2, pa ien s wi h CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G3a–
G5,# and pa ien s ea ed wi h ch onic dialysis o kidney
ansplan a ion.§
Adul indi iduals wi h NKF/CKD
KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G1–G2, pa ien s
wi h CKD KDIGO GFR ca ego ies G3a–
G5, and pa ien s ea ed wi h ch onic
dialysis o kidney ansplan a ion.
In e en ion(s)/exposu es(s) S a ins wi h o wi hou eze imibe.§Se um le els o LDLc and/o CRP in
pa ien s ea ed wi h s a ins wi h o
wi hou eze imibe.
Compa a o s Placebo/usual ca e.@Se um le els o LDLc and/o CRP unde
placebo/usual ca e.@
Table 2. Re iew ques ions and s udy eligibili y. §Only s a ins we e s udied, and pa ien s ea ed wi h ch onic
dialysis o kidney ansplan a ion we e included in he sys ema ic e iew o suppo sys ema ic mapping.
#Indi iduals wi h CKD we e di ided acco ding o eGFR (in ml/min/1.73 m2): ≥60 (KDIGO GFR ca ego ies
G1–G2) o < 60 (G3a–G5). @Usual ca e may include a s a in i a s a in a a highe dose o a s a in/eze imibe
combina ion was al eady he in e en ion. Abb e ia ions: CKD, ch onic kidney disease; CRP, C- eac i e
p o ein; CVD, ca dio ascula disease; eGFR, es ima ed glome ula il a ion a e; KDIGO, he Kidney Disease:
Imp o ing Global Ou comes; LDLc, low-densi y lipop o ein choles e ol; NKF, no mal kidney unc ion.
9
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