Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis: current therapy and future developments

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis affects between 2 and 4 million people in the United States alone and likely has a higher prevalence than previously thought. Renal artery stenosis has been increasingly recognized in recent years, especially in patients with cardiovascular disease. It has been associated with hypertension, renal dysfunction, and sudden onset of pulmonary edema. Patients with symptomatic and hemodynamically significant renal artery stenosis are candidates for revascularization. Revascularization is most often accomplished by renal artery stenting, which has high success rates in terms of patency and low complication rates. An important element in managing patients with renal artery stenosis is selecting those patients who are most likely going to benefit from revascularization. This review article focuses on the clinical diagnosis, current treatment options, and future directions regarding treatment of patients with renal artery stenosis.