Kidney Disease Increases Heart Risks

A new study has found that chronic kidney disease, even an asymptomatic form, increases a patient's risk of heart disease, stroke, or death.

The retrospective study evaluated the histories of more than one million adults who were patients of Kaiser Permanente in 1996-2000. Average age was 52, and 55% were female. As the ability of the kidneys to filter out the body's toxins decreased, known as the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the risk of death increased proportionately. At a modest level of dysfunction (1), researchers found that the risk of death increased by 17%, while at the lowest levels (2), the risk increased almost sixfold.

"The most important message to take away from this study is that patients who are at any risk of kidney disease--because of family history, high blood pressure, or diabetes--should be screened by their doctors to measure their kidney function,” noted lead author Dr. Alan S. Go, of Kaiser Permanente's division of research (Oakland, CA, USA). "Caught early, kidney disease can be managed through diet and medication, and these risks can hopefully be lowered.”

The study's findings were reported in the September 23, 2004, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.




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