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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
The risk of atherosclerosis in patients with chronic kidney disease
Sylwia Olechnowicz-Tietz1, Anna Gluba, Anna Paradowska
1Department of Internal Medicine, Nicolas Copernicus Regional Specialist Hospital, Lodz, Poland.
Insights
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly increases cardiovascular disease risk. Lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is linked to more severe, multivessel coronary artery disease, highlighting GFR as an independent risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing global health concern, particularly in industrialized nations.
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major complication of CKD, with accelerated atherosclerosis observed even in early renal dysfunction.
- This study investigates the link between impaired kidney function and coronary artery disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between the degree of renal insufficiency and the prevalence and intensity of coronary artery disease.
- To assess how glomerular filtration rate (GFR) correlates with the number of stenosed coronary vessels.
Main Methods:
- Included 446 patients with elevated serum creatinine and acute coronary syndrome.
- All patients underwent urgent coronarography.
- Analyzed data on GFR, number of stenosed vessels, hypertension, lipid disorders, and inflammatory markers.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that moderate to severe renal impairment is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis.
- Patients with GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m² showed a predisposition to accelerated, multivessel cardiovascular disease.
Conclusions:
- Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) appears to be an independent risk factor for multivessel cardiovascular disease.
- Patients with renal dysfunction face high CVD event risk and require optimal treatment for both kidney protection and cardiovascular risk factor management.
Background:
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is becoming a serious health problem; the number of people with impaired renal function is rapidly rising, especially in industrialized countries. A major complication of CKD is cardiovascular disease. Accelerated atherosclerosis has been observed in early stages of renal dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the degree of renal insufficiency and both the prevalence and intensity of coronary artery disease (assessed on the basis of number of vessels with stenosis).
Methods:
446 individuals with both serum creatinine >120 μmol/l (men) or >96 μmol/l (women) and acute coronary syndrome were included in the study. All patients included in this analysis underwent urgent coronarography. Data concerning glomerular filtration rate (GFR), number of vessels with stenosis, hypertension, lipid disorders, creatinine concentration, C-reactive protein, glucose and lipid profile were analyzed.
Results:
This study confirmed that moderate to severe renal impairment is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis. Moreover, patients with GFR values below 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) are predisposed to accelerated, multivessel cardiovascular disease.
Conclusions:
GFR seems to be an independent risk factor for multivessel cardiovascular disease. Due to the fact that patients with renal dysfunction are at high risk of cardiovascular events, they should obtain optimal treatment resulting not only in kidney protection but also in the elimination of cardiovascular risk factors.
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