New York, New York — April 15, 2026 — New research to be presented at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) 2026 Spring Clinical Meetings scheduled for May 6-10 in New Orleans reveals important gaps between what patients with acute heart failure and kidney disease say they want and their understanding of their health outlook.
The longitudinal observational study surveyed four hundred hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure, over the four-year period between 2020 and 2024, revealing insights into treatment preferences, perception of prognosis during hospitalization, and one year post discharge and advanced care planning engagement. The study highlights the cardiovascular kidney metabolic syndrome interaction between heart failure hospitalization and kidney disease with 40% chronic kidney disease and 16.5% acute kidney injury among participants. While most patients (60.6%) reported prioritizing comfort-focused care, fewer than 40% had completed key advance care planning documents. Despite preferring comfort, many patients still expressed interest in intensive treatments including dialysis and implanted heart pumps, often without having prior discussions with their care teams to inform decision making.
Researchers also found that patients’ expectations about their prognosis were often overly optimistic. Although 27% of patients died within one year of hospital discharge, only 5% believed they had a life expectancy of one year or less. Kidney disease status did not influence survey findings. Preferences and expectations remained largely unchanged after discharge, highlighting missed opportunities for communication during hospitalization and in outpatient follow-up.
We found that many patients value comfort-focused care, but these preferences are not always supported by clear conversations or advance care planning,” said Sydney Wong, presenter of the study. “Hospitalization is a critical moment to better align with what matters most to patients.”
These findings will be presented in a late-breaking oral session on Thursday, May 7, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm, and underscore the need for better conversations, shared decision-making, and advance care planning for patients with heart failure and kidney disease.
NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For over 30 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings is designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary and interprofessional healthcare teams' skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. This year's NKF Spring Clinical Meetings will be held May 6 – 10, 2026, in New Orleans, LA.
Register to attend SCM26 in person or virtually via SMC On-demand. Registration can be found on the NFK Spring Clinical Meetings website. For more information about SCM26, visit: https://www.kidney.org/spring-clinical
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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Sam Tyler
National Kidney Foundation
Director of Professional and Scientific Communications
Phone: (212) 889-2210 x 141
Email: sam.tyler@kidney.org