Vascular disease and chronic renal failure: new insights

Abstract

Premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a frequent complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The traditional (Framingham) risk factors only partly explain the high prevalence of CVD in these patients and nontraditional risk factors/markers such as oxidative stress, persistent inflammation, cardiovascular ossification, endothelial dysfunction and anaemia are prevalent and seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of CVD in CKD patients. In addition, the so-called reverse epidemiology phenomenon, which occurs in advanced kidney disease, complicates the search for causative mechanisms. Here we review a few recently developed concepts regarding the high incidence of CVD in CKD patients.