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Serum creatinine and coronary mortality in the elderly with normal renal function: the CArdiovascular STudy in the

Alberto Mazza1, Achille C Pessina, Valèrie Tikhonoff

  • 1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Padua, Padua--Italy. alberto.mazza@unipd.it

Journal of Nephrology
|November 22, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Serum creatinine (SCr) independently predicts coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in elderly men, even within normal ranges. This suggests sub-clinical kidney impairment may increase CHD risk in older men.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Geriatrics

Background:

  • Elevated serum creatinine (SCr) is linked to increased mortality.
  • The predictive value of SCr within normal ranges for coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in the elderly is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether SCr independently predicts CHD mortality in elderly individuals with SCr levels within the normal range.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort of 3,257 men and women aged 65+ years was studied.
  • Historical, clinical, and blood test data were collected, along with 12-year fatal CHD events.
  • Serum creatinine (SCr) and creatinine clearance (Crcl) were stratified into tertiles, and gender-specific relative risks (RR) for CHD mortality were calculated.

Main Results:

  • Both SCr and Crcl independently predicted CHD mortality in men, but not in women.
  • In men, CHD mortality increased with higher SCr tertiles (1.5%, 5.5%, 7.7%).
  • In men, CHD mortality increased with decreasing Crcl tertiles (2.7%, 3.3%, 6.7%).

Conclusions:

  • SCr is an independent predictor of CHD mortality in elderly men.
  • SCr does not predict CHD mortality in elderly women.
  • Normal-range SCr levels associated with increased CHD risk may indicate sub-clinical renal function impairment.
Abstract

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