Tag Archives: end-stage renal disease

Introduction Acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) occur with an increased frequency in patients receiving long-term dialysis treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Moreover, these patients have additional comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus and systemic arterial hypertension, further predisposing individuals to the development of coronary artery disease.1,2 By its very nature, haemodialysis (HD) therapy may be highly disruptive to patients’ lifestyles, as those receiving regular sessions are less likely to perform regular exercise, adhere to a healthy diet, face difficulties complying with medications or adopt health-seeking behav

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) represents a state of dysregulation of many processes including inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, vascular calcification, bone mineral metabolism, oxidative stress, autonomic balance, uraemia, volume control, coagulation, insulin resistance, and haematopoiesis. The process of haemodialysis, the most common form of renal replacement therapy, causes myocardial stunning, leading to strain and potential damage,2 and can create a pro-arrhythmic environment.3 The early dialysis period is indeed high risk, with more cardiovascular events reported within the first five months of dialysis.4 It is, therefore, not an

Introduction That renal and cardiac disease appear inseparable from an epidemiological perspective is unsurprising, since they share many risk factors, notably hypertension, diabetes and inflammation. To date, however, our focus on the disparate specialities of ‘cardiology’ and ‘nephrology’ has reinforced a perception of each system as separate. The Cardiorenal Forum (CRF) was established to challenge this perspective. The most recent meeting, last autumn, ‘Optimising care at the cardiorenal interface’ was organised by the Royal College of Physicians, the British Cardiovascular Society and the Renal Association, in association wit