Cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetic kidney disease

In the past decades, chronic kidney disease has become a public health problem all over the world. Both the incidence and the prevalence are continually increasing. Diabetic nephropathy is, by far, the most frequent cause of CKD, with a prevalence of 40% in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Present studies have shown the fact that microalbuminuria and chronic kidney disease are independently associated to a high risk of cardiovascular events, as well as to a high mortality rate of all causes and also of cardiovascular cause, both in the general population and also in patients with high risk or an already present cardiovascular disease. There is a permanent association between the level of urinary albumin excretion and the risk for cardiovascular disease, macroalbuminuria and clinical nephropathy being associated to a higher risk for cardiovascular events than microalbuminuria. Due to the importance of clinical data and low cost, microalbuminuria and glomerular filtration rate should be introduced in the clinical practice for the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, especially in the patients with previously known heart disease. An early identification of the factors that determine the emergence and progression of diabetes complications is essential, in order to reduce the cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.