Serum creatinine stabilization following renal artery stenting

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Nephrology
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) can lead to progressive kidney function decline.
• Renal artery stenting is a common intervention for ARAS, but its long-term impact on renal function requires further definition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of renal artery stenting on renal function in patients with de novo atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.
• To identify predictors of renal function improvement or stabilization after stenting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of consecutive de novo ARAS patients undergoing renal artery stenting.
• Exclusion of patients with inadequate pre- or post-procedure renal function data.
• Definition of abnormal baseline serum creatinine (sCr) as > or = 1.5 mg/dL and categorization of follow-up sCr changes.

Main Results:

• Renal function stabilized or improved in 72% of the 194-patient cohort.
• A decline in renal function before stenting was followed by stabilization post-procedure.
• Bilateral renal artery stenting predicted normal follow-up sCr.
• Baseline sCr >2.1 mg/dL was associated with long-term sCr improvement.

Conclusions:

• Renal artery stenting generally leads to stabilization of renal function in patients with ARAS.
• Bilateral renal artery stenting appears to offer additional benefits for preserving renal function.