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Diabetic kidney disease is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease worldwide, and managing it remains difficult even with standard renin-angiotensin system blocking treatments. This 48-week randomised controlled trial investigated whether adding Kunxian capsule — a traditional Chinese medicine preparation — to standard treatment with irbesartan could improve outcomes for patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Eighty patients were randomly divided into two groups: one received irbesartan plus Kunxian capsule, while the other received irbesartan alone. The primary outcomes measured were the rate of proteinuria remission, the degree of protein reduction in urine, and the time taken to reach remission. Secondary outcomes included the rate of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate and the incidence of serious kidney-related events.
Patients in the Kunxian capsule group achieved a considerably higher proteinuria remission rate compared with the control group, reached remission more quickly, and showed a greater reduction in 24-hour urinary protein. The combined kidney endpoint occurred less frequently in the Kunxian capsule group, and the decline in kidney filtration function was slower. Inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were also significantly reduced. No meaningful differences in adverse events were observed between the two groups, suggesting the combination was well tolerated.
Conclusion: Adding Kunxian capsule to standard irbesartan therapy appears to meaningfully improve proteinuria remission and slow kidney function decline in diabetic kidney disease, supporting its potential as a safe adjunctive treatment.
Source: Chen S, Gao Y, Liang Z and colleagues. Renal failure (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42978535) · doi:10.1080/0886022X.2026.2755136