Topics and Trends in Most Cited Dialysis and Renal Disease Management Papers, Class of 2026

What topics and trends defined most-cited Dialysis and Renal Disease Management research in the Class of 2026?

eGFR, renal fibrosis, and albuminuria define the Class of 2026 dialysis and renal disease cohort, with KDIGO guideline updates and diabetic kidney disease trials driving early citations. Inflammatory indices and oxidative stress rose sharply from Class of 2025, while hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis receded among top-cited papers.

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Updated July 13, 2026

At a glance

Field: Dialysis and Renal Disease Management
Cohort label: Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed: 7,328
Papers ranked: 20
Top topics in ranked papers: Estimated glomerular filtration rate, Renal fibrosis, Albuminuria, Diabetic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Publication window: Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility: Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window: 18 months post-publication
18m citation range: 37–2,333
Data source: OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License: CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 7,328

2,33318m citations

KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease

Paul E. StevensKidney International202410.1016/j.kint.2023.10.018

CorrespondingKidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work GroupInstitutionKidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO), Belgium

KDIGO Clinical Practice GuidelineCKD stagingChronic Kidney Disease evaluationEstimated glomerular filtration ratealbuminuria assessmentGFR categoriesCKD risk assessmentCKD progression managementguideline recommendations

#2 of 7,328

1,72518m citations

A Study to Evaluate Psychological Distress and Self-Esteem Among Patients with Hemodialysis

Yogesh Kumar CInternational Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)202410.38124/ijisrt/ijisrt24mar1998

CorrespondingYogesh Kumar CInstitutionInternational Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT), India

Chronic kidney diseaseHemodialysis patientsPsychological distressSelf-esteemCross-sectional studyConvenient sampling techniqueStandardized questionnaire toolSocial supportDialysis-related mortalityDiabetes comorbidityHypertension comorbidityRacial and gender disparities in CKDNon-communicable disease burdenDistress severity classification (mild, moderate, severe)Self-esteem level classification (low, normal, above average)

#3 of 7,328

14918m citations

Executive summary of the KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease: known knowns and known unknowns

Adeera Levin et al.Kidney International202410.1016/j.kint.2023.10.016

CorrespondingAdeera Levin, Paul E. StevensInstitutionUniversity of British Columbia, Canada

KDIGO Clinical Practice GuidelineChronic kidney diseaseglomerular filtration rate (GFR)Serum creatinineCystatin CUrinary albumin measurementGRADE methodologyChronic kidney disease progressionkidney biopsyrisk prediction modelsSodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitorsrenin-angiotensin system inhibitorsmedication managementdrug stewardshipDialysisKidney transplantationlaboratory standardizationCKD etiologymolecular diagnostics

#4 of 7,328

13018m citations

A Randomized Trial of Intravenous Amino Acids for Kidney Protection

Giovanni Landoni et al.New England Journal of Medicine202410.1056/nejmoa2403769

CorrespondingGiovanni LandoniInstitutionIRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy

Intravenous amino acid therapyAcute kidney injurycardiac surgerycardiopulmonary bypasskidney perfusionrenal functional reserveKDIGO creatinine criteriaKidney replacement therapyRinger's solution placebobalanced amino acid mixtureideal body weight dosingStage 3 acute kidney injury30-day mortalityRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trialPROTECTION trialNCT03709264

#5 of 7,328

9118m citations

The glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3 drives kidney fibrosis through promoting histone lactylation-mediated NF-κB family activation

Yating Wang et al.Kidney International202410.1016/j.kint.2024.04.016

CorrespondingWei Chen, Qinghua Liu, Haiping MaoInstitutionSun Yat-sen University, China

PFKFB3glycolytic reprogramminghistone lactylationH4K12laNF-κB signaling activationRenal fibrosisChronic kidney diseaseischemia-reperfusion injuryProximal tubular epithelial cellsPTC-specific PFKFB3 deletionPFKFB3 inhibitorlactate metabolismIKKβ activationIκBαp65IkbkbRelaRelburinary lactate/creatine ratiokidney inflammation

#6 of 7,328

8418m citations

Social Risk Profile and Cardiovascular‐Kidney‐Metabolic Syndrome in US Adults

Jingkuo Li et al.Journal of the American Heart Association202410.1161/jaha.124.034996

CorrespondingJingkuo Li, Lubi Lei, Lihua Zhang, Yuan-Lin GuoInstitutionFuwai Hospital, China

Cardiovascular-renal-metabolic syndromesocial risk profileNational Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyCKM stagessubclinical cardiovascular diseaseChronic kidney diseasemetabolic disordersfood securitysocial determinants of healthmultimorbiditycumulative social disadvantagecardiometabolic diseasesemployment statusincome leveleducational attainmenthealth insurance typehousing ownershipmarital status

#7 of 7,328

6218m citations

Finerenone and Kidney Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure

Finnian R Mc Causland et al.Journal of the American College of Cardiology202410.1016/j.jacc.2024.10.091

CorrespondingFinnian R. Mc CauslandInstitutionBrigham and Women's Hospital, United States

FinerenoneFINEARTS-HF trialheart failure with mildly reduced ejection fractionheart failure with preserved ejection fractionRenal outcomesKidney function declineeGFR slopeUrine albumin-to-creatinine ratiomicroalbuminuriamacroalbuminuriaChronic kidney diseaseType 2 diabetes mellitusNonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonistsDialysisKidney transplantationkidney failure composite outcomeRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trialNCT04435626

#8 of 7,328

5918m citations

Diabetes and Renal Complications: An Overview on Pathophysiology, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Interventions

Rajesh Jha et al.Biomedicines202410.3390/biomedicines12051098

CorrespondingJay C. JhaInstitutionKansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, United States

Diabetic kidney diseasetype 1 diabetesType 2 diabetes mellitusChronic kidney diseaseKidney failureglomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickeningmesangial expansionglomerulosclerosisRenal fibrosisAlbuminuriahyperglycemia-induced microvascular damageHypertension as risk factorgenetic susceptibility to DKDDialysisKidney transplantationKidney biomarkersglomerular injurytubular injurymicrovascular complications of diabetestherapeutic interventions for DKD

#9 of 7,328

5318m citations

Albuminuria: An Underappreciated Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease

Joshua I Barzilay et al.Journal of the American Heart Association202410.1161/jaha.123.030131

CorrespondingJoshua I BarzilayInstitutionKaiser Permanente of Georgia, United States

AlbuminuriaChronic kidney disease progressioncardiovascular disease biomarkerUrinary albumin measurementmyocardial capillary diseasearterial stiffnesscoronary artery diseasestrokeheart failurearrhythmiasmicrovascular diseasealbuminuria lowering therapycardiovascular risk reductionalbuminuria screeningmultidisciplinary cardiovascular management

#10 of 7,328

5218m citations

IL-6 inhibition with clazakizumab in patients receiving maintenance dialysis: a randomized phase 2b trial

Glenn M Chertow et al.Nature Medicine202410.1038/s41591-024-03043-1

CorrespondingGlenn M. ChertowInstitutionStanford University, United States

ClazakizumabIL-6 inhibitionDialysisHigh-sensitivity C-reactive proteinphase 2b dose-finding studygeometric mean ratio primary endpointserum fibrinogen reductionserum amyloid Asecretory phospholipase A2lipoprotein(a)serum albumin increasecardiovascular risk in dialysis patientsinflammatory biomarkersdose-ranging (2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg)thrombocytopenia safety monitoringneutropenia safety monitoringserious infection riskdiabetes and cardiovascular comorbidity in dialysis populationNCT05485961

#11 of 7,328

5218m citations

Physical activity and exercise in chronic kidney disease: consensus statements from the Physical Exercise Working Group of the Italian Society of Nephrology

Yuri Battaglia et al.Journal of Nephrology202410.1007/s40620-024-02049-9

CorrespondingYuri BattagliaInstitutionUniversity of Verona, Italy

Chronic kidney diseasephysical exercise trainingModified Delphi methodconsensus statementRenal function preservationHemodialysisPeritoneal dialysiskidney transplant recipientsKidney replacement therapycardiometabolic functionneuromuscular functionexercise tolerancecustomized exercise programsphysical activity questionnairesexercise safety in CKDmultidisciplinary team approachbarriers to exercise implementationnephrologist-led careremote monitoring technologiesHealth-related quality of life

#12 of 7,328

4818m citations

Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease Progression: Between Old and New Concepts

Francesca Mallamaci et al.Journal of Clinical Medicine202410.3390/jcm13030678

CorrespondingFrancesca MallamaciInstitutionGrande Ospedale Metropolitano, Italy

Chronic kidney disease progressionnon-modifiable risk factorsmodifiable risk factorsAge-related kidney function declineHypertensiondietary salt intakeobesitysympathetic overactivityproteinuriaDyslipidemiaenvironmental risk factorspollution exposureDiabetes mellituslow- to middle-income countriesChronic kidney disease prevalenceKidney function declinenarrative review

#13 of 7,328

4718m citations

Arteriovenous Access for Hemodialysis

Charmaine E Lok et al.JAMA202410.1001/jama.2024.0535

CorrespondingCharmaine E LokInstitutionUniversity Health Network, Canada

autogenous arteriovenous fistulanonautogenous arteriovenous graftPatient Life-Plan Access Needs (PLAN)Nephrology referral thresholdearly-cannulation graftsfistula maturationintimal hyperplasiaarteriovenous access stenosismaturation failurearteriovenous access patencyAccess-related steal syndromearteriovenous access infectionhigh-output cardiac failurearteriovenous access hemorrhageperipheral insertion of central catheters avoidanceantecubital venipuncture avoidancevascular access referral timingperitoneal dialysis access failurekidney transplant access considerationshemodialysis vascular access maintenance

#14 of 7,328

4418m citations

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury: recent advances in enrichment strategies, sub-phenotyping and clinical trials

Matthieu Legrand et al.Critical Care202410.1186/s13054-024-04877-4

CorrespondingMatthieu LegrandInstitutionUCSF, United States

sepsis-associated acute kidney injurysub-phenotypingEnrichment strategiesclinical trial designpatient-centered clinical trial endpointscritically ill patientsAKI outcome trialsbiomarker-based enrichmenttrial endpoint selectionsepsis sub-phenotypesAKI sub-phenotypespredictive enrichmentprognostic enrichmentsepsis clinical trials

#15 of 7,328

4218m citations

Projecting the economic burden of chronic kidney disease at the patient level (Inside CKD): a microsimulation modelling study

Steven Chadban et al.EClinicalMedicine202410.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102615

CorrespondingJuan José García SánchezInstitutionRoyal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia

Chronic kidney diseaseKidney replacement therapyMicrosimulation modelInside CKD initiativepatient-level cost datadirect costsCKD stage 3-5KRT modalitycardiovascular complicationsheart failuremyocardial infarctionstrokeHypertensionType 2 diabetes mellitusdisease progressioneconomic burden projectionhealthcare resource allocationrenal registriesdiagnosed CKD population

#16 of 7,328

4118m citations

Lifestyle factors and their relative contributions to longitudinal progression of cardio-renal-metabolic multimorbidity: a prospective cohort study

Ning Zhang, Xiang Liu et al.Cardiovascular Diabetology202410.1186/s12933-024-02347-3

CorrespondingXiong XiaoInstitutionSichuan University, China

Cardiovascular-renal-metabolic syndromeUK Biobank cohortmultistate modelquantile G-computationlifestyle scoresmoking statusdiet qualityalcohol consumptionphysical activitySedentary behavioursleep durationsocial connectionType 2 diabetes mellitusChronic kidney diseaseCardiovascular diseasedisease progression trajectoryfirst cardio-renal-metabolic diseasemortality riskrelative contribution analysisdisease-specific transitions

#17 of 7,328

4118m citations

Association of systemic immune-inflammation index and systemic inflammation response index with chronic kidney disease: observational study of 40,937 adults

Peixian Huang et al.Inflammation Research202410.1007/s00011-024-01861-0

CorrespondingYanpei MaiInstitutionSouth China University of Technology, China

Systemic immune-inflammation indexSystemic inflammation response indexChronic kidney diseaseCohort studyNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratioplatelet countmonocyte countinflammatory biomarkersKidney function declineEstimated glomerular filtration rateCross-sectional studyNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

#18 of 7,328

4118m citations

Haemodiafiltration versus haemodialysis for kidney failure: an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Robin W M Vernooij et al.The Lancet202410.1016/s0140-6736(24)01859-2

CorrespondingRobin W.M. Vernooij, Robin WM VernooijInstitutionUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands

HemodiafiltrationHemodialysisindividual patient data meta-analysisKidney failureKidney replacement therapyconvective clearancemiddle molecule removalcardiovascular mortality in dialysis patientsall-cause mortality in dialysis patientsdialysis modality comparisonHigh-volume hemodiafiltration

#19 of 7,328

4018m citations

Epidemiological shifts in chronic kidney disease: a 30-year global and regional assessment

Kaili Qin, Jianbo Qing et al.BMC Public Health202410.1186/s12889-024-21065-9

CorrespondingYafeng LiInstitutionShanxi Medical University, China

Global Burden of Disease StudyDisability-adjusted life yearsage-standardized incidence rateAnnual percentage changeHealthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) IndexSocio-demographic Indexpopulation attributable fraction (PAF)high fasting plasma glucosehigh systolic blood pressureCKD risk factorsCKD mortality trendsChronic kidney disease prevalenceCKD incidence trendsRegional disparities in disease burden30-year epidemiological trend analysis

#20 of 7,328

3718m citations

Potentials of Natural Antioxidants in Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Chronic Kidney Disease

On Ying Angela Lee et al.Antioxidants202410.3390/antiox13060751

CorrespondingMartin Ho Yin YeungInstitutionThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

Chronic kidney diseaseInflammationoxidative stressDyslipidemiaGlycemic controlKidney failurestatinsmetforminGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonistsnatural antioxidantslactoferrinBoerhaavia diffusaAmauroderma rugosumGanoderma lucidumherbal remediesRenal function preservationanti-inflammatory propertiesmetabolic dysregulation

Topic trends

Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Dialysis and Renal Disease Management

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The informative word cloud across the 50 highest 18-month-cited dialysis and renal disease management papers reveals a field centered on kidney function assessment, progressive CKD phenotypes, and cardiometabolic comorbidity—not generic dialysis terminology. Estimated glomerular filtration rate leads at 11 of 50 papers (normalized frequency 0.22), followed by renal fibrosis (7 papers, 0.14) and albuminuria (7 papers, 0.14). Diabetic kidney disease (5 papers, 0.10), type 2 diabetes mellitus (5 papers, 0.10), and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (5 papers, 0.10) cluster tightly with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (4 papers, 0.08) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (3 papers, 0.06), reflecting the citation impact of cardiometabolic CKD trials and updated KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline work (3 papers, 0.06). Oxidative stress (4 papers, 0.08), systemic immune-inflammation index (3 papers, 0.06), and systemic inflammation response index (3 papers, 0.06) signal rising inflammatory biomarker framing. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis each appear in 3 Class of 2026 papers (0.06), alongside kidney transplantation (3 papers, 0.06), acute kidney injury (3 papers, 0.06), and proximal tubular epithelial cells (3 papers, 0.06). Mid-sized terms emphasize cystatin C, serum creatinine, CKD stage 3–5, and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey epidemiology. After informativeness filtering, broad labels such as chronic kidney disease and dialysis-dependent kidney failure are excluded, highlighting specific functional, fibrotic, and albuminuric mechanisms over umbrella disease names.

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing normalized concept frequencies between the Class of 2025 (2023 publications) and Class of 2026 (2024 publications) cohorts shows a reorientation of early-high-impact renal disease research toward kidney function metrics, fibrosis biology, and inflammatory phenotyping—and away from dialysis-modality prominence. Estimated glomerular filtration rate exhibited the largest gain (+0.12 normalized frequency; 5 versus 11 papers), followed by renal fibrosis (+0.08; 3 versus 7), albuminuria (+0.06; 4 versus 7), type 2 diabetes mellitus (+0.06; 2 versus 5), urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (+0.06; 2 versus 5), and oxidative stress (+0.06; 1 versus 4). The topic evolution card underscores that Class of 2026 bars extend furthest for eGFR, renal fibrosis, albuminuria, and UACR—topics aligned with KDIGO 2024 guideline updates and early CKD risk stratification. Systemic inflammation response index and systemic immune-inflammation index each appeared in 3 Class of 2026 papers and were absent from the Class of 2025 cohort (+0.06 each), alongside rising CKD stage 3–5 and glycemic control terminology. Conversely, peritoneal dialysis showed the steepest decline (−0.12; 9 versus 3 papers), followed by hemodialysis (−0.08; 7 versus 3), reflecting reduced dominance of modality-specific papers among top-cited 2024 work. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors declined modestly (−0.02; 5 versus 4 papers), while diabetic kidney disease remained stable. Together, these shifts suggest that the most-cited 2024 papers emphasize early CKD assessment, fibrotic and albuminuric mechanisms, and inflammatory biomarkers over dialysis delivery and modality comparisons.

Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodology GitHub bioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Dialysis and Renal Disease Management Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/dialysis-and-renal-disease-management/2026. Accessed 2026-07-13.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459