Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Dec;4(3-4):168-75.
doi: 10.1159/000366455. Epub 2014 Sep 17.

Left ventricular hypertrophy and chronic renal insufficiency in the elderly

David Leibowitz  1
Affiliations
Review

Left ventricular hypertrophy and chronic renal insufficiency in the elderly

David Leibowitz. Cardiorenal Med. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The global population is aging. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women older than 65 years. In particular, elderly patients have an increased prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), both of which predict increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. LVH and CKD frequently coexist in the elderly, and LVH is a powerful predictor of mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Key messages: Several hemodynamic factors contribute to LVH and CKD in the elderly. Increased arterial stiffness in the elderly is associated with LVH and CKD. Studies using noninvasive measures of arterial stiffening have shown a correlation between these measures and LVH in patients with CKD. Hypertensive patients with an altered circadian blood pressure pattern such as nondippers have an increased incidence of LVH and CKD. Anemia is a risk factor for LVH in patients in all stages of CKD, and studies have shown correlations between age, anemia and LV mass. Nonhemodynamic factors include chronic inflammation, increased oxidative stress, and reduced autophagy, all of which are present in the elderly. Disordered mineral metabolism in the elderly with reduced levels of vitamin D and elevated levels of parathyroid hormone and phosphorus is associated with LVH and CKD.

Conclusions: Multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms contribute to the development of LVH and CKD in the elderly. Future research should be directed at interfering with this development and reducing the burden of cardiovascular and renal diseases in this growing population.

Keywords: Elderly; Left ventricular hypertrophy; Renal insufficiency.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Somma C, Trillini M, Kasa M, Gentile G. Managing end-stage renal disease in the elderly. Aging Health. 2013;9:539–552.
    1. Dannenberg AL, Levy D, Garrison RJ. Impact of age on echocardiographic left ventricular mass in a healthy population (The Framingham Study) Am J Cardiol. 1989;64:1066–1068. - PubMed
    1. Leibowitz D, Bursztyn M, Jacobs JM, Ein-Mor E, Stessman J. High prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in octogenarian women: the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study. Blood Press. 2010;19:86–91. - PubMed
    1. Villari B, Vassalli G, Schneider J, Chiariello M, Hess OM. Age dependency of left ventricular diastolic function in pressure overload hypertrophy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1997;29:181–186. - PubMed
    1. Levy D, Garrison RJ, Savage DD, Kannel WB, Castelli WP. Left ventricular mass and incidence of coronary heart disease in an elderly cohort: the Framingham Heart Study. Ann Intern Med. 1989;110:101–107. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources