Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

The heart and the kidneys are inextricably linked through vascular, neurological, hormonal, and cellular signaling systems. The kidneys are the most vascular organ in the body, receiving a quarter of cardiac output at rest. Thus, kidney disease is strongly associated with cardiovascular illness and, in fact, may be considered as a cardiovascular risk state. In addition, when either organ sustains injury or begins to fail, there appears to be a consequential effect on the other organs in either an adaptive or maladaptive response that we now recognize as a “cardiorenal syndrome(s).”[1] This chapter will review the connections between the heart and the kidneys from epidemiological, biological, and clinical perspectives with the aim of gaining greater appreciation for this important interface in both acute and chronic care. Abstract