Cardiovascular risks in chronic kidney disease pediatric patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nephrology
• Cardiovascular Health in Children
• Chronic Kidney Disease Research

Background:

• Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant cause of premature death in children, primarily due to cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Cardiovascular morbidity begins early in the disease progression and affects children with CKD and those who have undergone renal transplantation (CKD-T).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current understanding of cardiovascular risks in pediatric patients with CKD.
• To identify key risk factors for subclinical CVD in this population.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar for recent data.
• Analysis of risk factors associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease in pediatric CKD.

Main Results:

• Key risk factors for subclinical CVD include young age, elevated BMI, high systolic blood pressure z-scores, low glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and albuminuria.
• Increasing blood pressure and BMI over time are significant longitudinal cardiac risk factors.
• Altered cardiac function and remodeling are integral to CKD, commencing early and persisting post-transplantation.

Conclusions:

• Children with CKD and CKD-T are at high risk for future CVD.
• Younger patients with elevated BMI, increased blood pressure, and albuminuria represent the highest risk group, highlighting targets for intervention.