[Smoking and atheromatous stenosis of the renal arteries]

Renal vascular pathologies are important causes of the chronic renal failure progression. In these pathologies, the role of smoking in so far as factor of risk was discussed. This work aims to evaluate the effect of smoking exposure on renal arteries of patients with both renal failure and hypertension. 67 patients more than 50 years old, having both renal failure and hypertension, have been explored by arteriography. The active smoking was required among all patients. Patients were classified in 2 groups: group (I) of 45 patients with one or more atheromatous stenoses of renal arteries considered to be significant and group (II) of 22 patients without significant atheromatous stenoses of renal arteries. [table: see text] 80.5% of patients of group (I) have smoked against only 44.4% in group (II). The fact that the presence of atheromatous stenoses of renal arteries was connected to the number of cigarettes and the exposure time, and not to the current comportment of patients towards smoking, this suggested a cumulative effect of smoking.

This work shown a relation between the consumption of smoking and the existence of atheromatous stenoses of renal arteries, a reason moreover to fight against smoking. The prevention of smoking intoxication appears important to decrease the incidence of the renal vascular pathologies.