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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
08:50

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Published on: June 16, 2014

Ankle brachial index independently predicts early kidney disease

Abhijit V Kshirsagar1, Josef Coresh, Frederick Brancati

  • 1University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7155, USA. sagar@med.unc.edu

Renal Failure
|October 7, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Low ankle-brachial index (ABI), indicating atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), is independently associated with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), suggesting early chronic kidney disease (CKD). This association is stronger in African Americans than Whites.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Cardiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently coexist.
  • The independent association between early-stage renal dysfunction and atherosclerosis in the general population remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that a low ankle-brachial index (ABI), a marker for CVD, is associated with a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), indicative of early CKD.

Main Methods:

  • The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study included 14,917 middle-aged participants.
  • Low ABI (<0.90) was defined as the exposure, and low estimated GFR (<90 mL/min/1.73 m²) as the outcome.
  • Logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.

Main Results:

  • A low ABI (<0.90) was significantly associated with an increased odds of low estimated GFR (OR: 1.54; 95% C.I.: 1.17-2.04) after adjustment.
  • The odds ratio for low GFR was higher in African Americans (1.88) compared to Whites (1.36).

Conclusions:

  • The findings support an independent association between early CKD and atherosclerotic CVD.
  • This relationship appears more pronounced in African Americans.
  • Further prospective studies are warranted due to the increasing incidence of CKD.
Abstract

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