BACKGROUND: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a strong pathophysiological interrelationship, and their combination worsens prognosis.
SUMMARY: This article briefly reviews the bidirectional epidemiological burden and the pathophysiological interplay between HFpEF and CKD. It also discusses some of the controversial aspects regarding the diagnosis and screening of HFpEF in CKD patients and focuses on the most effective therapeutic approaches to improve symptoms and prognosis in this high-risk population.
KEY MESSAGES: Due to its prevalence and prognostic significance, HFpEF screening should be considered in patients with CKD, with careful use of traditional diagnostic tools in this population. Optimal medical therapy has seen major recent advances in patients with both HFpEF and CKD. SGLT2 inhibitors, finerenone, and semaglutide have consistently demonstrated cardio- and renoprotective effects in both conditions.