Cardiorenal Metabolic Health and Diabetic Nephropathy: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Advances

Cardiorenal metabolic (CKM) disorders represent a complex and interconnected cluster of conditions—including chronic kidney disease (CKD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cardiovascular disease (CVD)—that together drive significant global morbidity and mortality. Diabetic nephropathy, as a major microvascular complication of T2D, sits at the heart of this axis, contributing not only to renal failure but also to escalating cardiovascular risk.

This Research Topic aims to bring together high-impact research exploring the mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of diabetic nephropathy within the broader CKM framework. We welcome studies addressing:

• Molecular and metabolic pathways linking diabetes, kidney injury, and cardiovascular dysfunction.
• The role of novel biomarkers, such as urinary or plasma proteins, epigenetic signatures, and imaging modalities, in early detection and prognosis of diabetic kidney disease.
• Therapeutic strategies that target multiple CKM axes simultaneously, including RAAS inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, MRAs, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and non-steroidal mineralocorticoid antagonists.
• Real-world effectiveness and safety of cardiorenal-protective agents, including sodium zirconium cyclosilicate in hyperkalemia management.
• Interventions to preserve renal function while optimizing cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes.

We encourage original research, clinical trials, mechanistic studies, methodologies and comprehensive reviews that shed light on the integrated care of patients with CKM syndrome and diabetic nephropathy.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, cardiorenal syndrome, metabolic syndrome, RAAS inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, kidney biomarkers, inflammation, fibrosis, cardiovascular complications

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.