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NephJC 2026 Fall Pledge Drive

Help keep NephJC a vital, original, and unbiased source of medical education.

NephJC 2026 Fall Pledge Drive
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Brian Rifkin
REFINe-ing AI’s Role in Nephrology Diagnosis

This week, we will discuss the use of LLMs for the diagnosis of complex nephrology cases. Can AI help nephrologists nail the correct diagnosis?

REFINe-ing AI’s Role in Nephrology Diagnosis
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Akshaya J
Too sweet to be true? Prophylactic SGLT2 ...

MERCURI-2 reports that dapagliflozin cuts postoperative AKI after cardiac surgery, but the headline result is mostly a urine-output story, not a creatinine one. That matters: urine output after surgery is easily swayed by anesthesia, fluid shifts, vasopressors, and a diuretic drug in the mix. Until dapagliflozin shows it protects kidney function, not just urine output.

Too sweet to be true? Prophylactic SGLT2 inhibitors before cardiac surgery
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Cristina Adriana Popa
Buffering without benefit? The SODa-BIC study

This week, we will discuss SODaBIC trial: with ICU acidosis driven by multiple overlapping mechanisms, is bicarbonate infusion supported by robust evidence, or does it persist mainly out of habit rather than physiology?

Buffering without benefit? The SODa-BIC study
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Pallavi Prasad
Beyond Diabetic Kidney Disease: FIND-ing ...

FIND-CKD extends finerenone beyond diabetic kidney disease, showing slower eGFR decline and sustained albuminuria reduction in non-diabetic CKD. While the benefits are modest and cardiovascular effects remain uncertain, the trial opens the door to broader use of nsMRAs and raises important questions about combination therapy with SGLT2 inhibitors.

Beyond Diabetic Kidney Disease: FIND-ing Finerenone's Next Role

Cristina Popa

FIND-CKD trial on Instagram

FIND-CKD on Instagram

A more visual summary of the trial and relevant context (just 6 images to look at!). Infographics by Andreea Manolea

Bonus: more on finerenone in proteinuric CKD universe- visuals by Cristina Popa

TRACK trial on Instagram

TRACK trial on Instagram

A more visual summary of the trial and relevant context (just 6 images to look at!). Infographics by Cristina Popa

MAJESTY trial on Instagram

MAJESTY trial on Instagram

A more visual summary of the trial and relevant context (just 6 images to look at!). Infographics by Cristina Popa

On the right TRACK? Rivaroxaban to prevent cardiovascular events in advanced CKD.

On the right TRACK? Rivaroxaban to prevent cardiovascular events in advanced CKD.

Can rivaroxaban improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with advanced CKD.? Although vascular inflammation and thrombosis are at the heart of CV damage, anticoagulants have not previously shown benefits in CVD patients.

Making an IMPACT on BP: Why pills alone won't win the war

Making an IMPACT on BP: Why pills alone won't win the war

This week we will discuss whether a bundled, team-based hypertension intervention- featuring intensive BP targets, home monitoring, health coaching, and audit feedback- can overcome poverty, clinical inertia, and fragmented care to improve blood pressure control in low-income patients receiving care at federally qualified health centers.

Why-dralazine?! Population risk of drug induced vasculitis

Why-dralazine?! Population risk of drug induced vasculitis

This week, we will discuss why a large registry cohort was needed to move past decades of scattered case reports and clarify the true risk of hydralazine‑associated vasculitis. When rare events hide in noise, only scale can reveal the signal. Can population‑level data finally bring this paradox into focus?