Renoprotective opportunities of Lespedeza capitata in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Kushnirenko S.V. , Ivanov D.D. , Rotova S.A. , Kushnirenko О.V. 
Published: September 2021

Background. Today, issues of renoprotection have gone beyond the use of antihypertensive therapy alone. Stable glucose-lowering and urate-lowering therapy are integral parts of modern renoprotection, which improve the functional state of the kidneys by increasing the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and reducing the albumin excretion rate (AER) and the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Nevertheless, hypoazotemic therapy aimed at reducing the content of nitrogenous wastes remains the leading component of the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of the study is the assessment of the renoprotective potential of the drug Libera (Lespedeza capitata) in patients with CKD stages 2–3 on the background of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Materials and methods. The study included 107 patients with type 2 DM, aged 19 to 75 years (female— 41.1%, male — 58.9%), CKD stages 2–3, micro- and macroalbuminuria (category A2 and A3). The patients were divided into two groups: group I — traditional stable glucose-lowering and antihypertensive therapy (n = 50) and group II — traditional stable glucose-lowering and antihypertensive therapy in combination with Libera (Lespedeza capitata) (n = 57), which was prescribed 1 capsule t.i.d. regardless of food intake for 3 months. The criteria for the effectiveness of treatment were dynamics of GFR, AER/ACR in daily urine. The observation period for the patients was 3 months. Results. The renoprotective potential of Lespedeza capitata (Libera) was demonstrated after 3 months of treatment in the form of a significant increase in GFR in patients with CKD stage 2 in group II up to 79.0 ± 1.4 ml/min/1.73 m2 in comparison with the initial data (p < 0.01) and the results obtained in group I after 3 months of using only traditional stable glucose-lowering and antihypertensive therapy (p < 0.05). The use of Libera in the complex treatment of patients of the II group with CKD stage 3 against the background of type 2 DM for 3 months had a positive effect on nitrogen and water excretory kidney function, which manifested itself in an improvement in GFR to 56.6±2.1ml/min/1.73m2 in comparison with the initial data (p < 0.05) and the results obtained in group I — 50.8 ± 1.9 ml/min/1.73m2 (p<0.05). In group I with traditional stable glucose-lowering and antihypertensive therapy, only 3 patients (9.1%) transferred from category A2 to category A1 (normoalbuminuria) after 3 months and 2 patients (11.8%) from category A3 to category A2. In group II, the appointment of Lespedeza capitata (Libera) in combination with stable glucose-lowering and antihypertensive therapy facilitated the transfer of 10 patients (27.8%) from category A2 to A1 and 7 patients (33.3%) from category A3 to A2 (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Lespedeza capitata (Libera) in combination with traditional stable glucose-lowering and antihypertensive therapy contributes to the preservation and improvement of the filtration function of the kidneys, a decrease in AER/ACR in patients with CKD stage 2–3 (3a і 3b) against the background of type 2 DM and proves renoprotective efficiency and safety.