Introduction: Cardiovascular Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease

Since Linder's seminal observation of an apparent acceleration of atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients,1 it has become increasingly clear that individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) suffer from an extraordinarily high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and a rate of cardiovascular mortality that increases as kidney function declines and is many-fold higher in individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) than in those with preserved kidney function. More than 40 years have passed since Lindner's initial report, however, despite the high prevalence of CKD and outsized proportion of Medicare spending dedicated to the care of patients with ESKD, significant uncertainties remain regarding the etiology of this increased risk and, most importantly, about how to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease in this growing population.
Source: Seminars in Nephrology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Source Type: research