Advances in the cardiovascular assessment of patients with chronic kidney disease

Area of Science:

• Nephrology and Cardiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
• CKD is linked to diverse cardiovascular structural and functional abnormalities.
• Understanding these abnormalities is crucial for risk assessment and targeted therapy.

Discussion:

• This review evaluates current techniques for assessing the cardiovascular (CV) system in CKD.
• Methods cover conventional assessments from the heart to peripheral microcirculation.
• Focus includes functional consequences like cardiovascular reserve, perfusion, and vasoregulation.

Key Insights:

• Conventional assessments provide a baseline understanding of CV abnormalities in CKD.
• Advanced techniques are emerging to offer deeper insights into pathophysiology.
• Integrating various methods can improve risk stratification and therapeutic monitoring.

Outlook:

• Future research should focus on novel imaging and functional assessment techniques.
• Personalized therapeutic strategies can be developed based on detailed CV profiling.
• Improved understanding will aid in reducing cardiovascular mortality in CKD.