Increased platelet-monocyte aggregates and cardiovascular disease in end-stage renal failure patients

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. This excess morbidity cannot be entirely explained by well-recognized conventional and novel risk factors alone, and occurs irrespective of dialysis modality. Recent evidence suggests that the activation of platelets and their interaction with circulating cells are important independent risk factors for atherosclerosis in non-uraemic patients. We therefore studied platelet activation and circulating platelet-leucocyte aggregates in stable patients without evidence of cardiovascular disease on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and haemodialysis and investigated an association with cardiovascular events.