[USE OF STATINS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE TO PREVENT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE]

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the leading public health issues due to frequent and serious complications. Once the function of kidneys is disrupted, regardless of etiology, there are numerous factors that can speed up decrease of glomerular filtration rate, including hypertension, proteinuria and dyslipidemia. Statins are widely used in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in general population. Clinical advantages of statins in CKD patients are not as clear. The aim of this paper is to present lipid status in CKD patients and indications for statin therapy with the aim to reduce cardiovascular risk in this group of patients. CKD is a well-known independent risk factor in cardiovascular events, but professional associations issuing guidelines differ in the approach to treatment of dyslipidemia. The results of some studies indicate that treatment with statins may slow down the rate of kidney function reduction in patients with mild to moderate kidney damage, whereas other studies deny this effect. Furthermore, CKD patients have a higher risk of side effects, in part due to the reduced kidney excretion, polypharmacy, and numerous other comorbidities. Family physician has the role of providing preventive measures, with focus on appropriate treatment of patients with hypertension or diabetes, as the most common cause of CKD, and timely detection of CKD in initial stage.