[Changes in renal function in subjects undergoing an aortocoronary bypass with extracorporeal circulation]

It is well known that extracorporeal circulation (ECC) may determine an impaired renal function. The aim of our study was to identify those patients who, on the basis of the presence of cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, show more evident signs of such dysfunction. The study was conducted on 333 male patients, aged > 49 years, with normal renal function, who underwent coronary artery by-pass surgery in extracorporeal circulation. The results show that, among the cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension has a major influence on renal function after performing extracorporeal circulation, particularly on glomerular filtration rate and, when associated to diabetes mellitus, renal dysfunction may persist until the 9th post-operative day.