Kidney disease in cardiology.

Nephrol Dial Transplant 26(1):46-50 (2011) PMID 21135041

Topics covered in this review include the relation of estimated glomerular filtration rate, proteinuria and outcome; sudden cardiac death; contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI); imaging; clinical trials targeting cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients; and treatment of ischemic heart disease and valvular disease. Several studies reinforce the importance of CKD in predicting mortality and make a case for redefining CKD to incorporate levels of proteinuria in the staging system. Another study provides support for using a combination of echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers for cardiac risk stratification in dialysis patients. Two studies reveal ongoing interest in and difficulty preventing CI-AKI. One study discusses chest ultrasound to detect pulmonary congestion and potentially guide ultrafiltration and volume removal in dialysis patients. Several clinical trials assess folic acid, statins and aspirin for prevention of future cardiovascular events in CKD patients. Finally, several studies compare the use of drug-eluting and bare metal stents in dialysis patients, discuss methods of surgical coronary artery revascularization in dialysis patients and describe testing allopurinol as a treatment for ischemic heart disease in non-renal patients.