Erythrocyte Alterations and Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Chronic Renal Failure

Patients suffering from chronic renal failure have a higher burden of cardiovascular events, which increases in a dose-dependent fashion as renal function worsens. Increased cardiovascular risk in these patients is thought to be mediated by the simultaneous presence of both traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors, the latter being associated with renal impairment. Red blood cells are usually considered as carries of nutrients for tissues and respiratory gases, less so as compartments essential to vascular integrity. However, erythrocyte number, size, and integrity seem to severely affect cardiovascular morbidity and mortality as established in recent clinical studies with large patient cohorts. In particular, the role of red blood cells in chronic renal failure tends only to be considered exclusively in relation to a change in their number. However, these cells in the uremic milieu are prone to many alterations, which may adversely affect the cardiovascular system. In this review, we highlight the main qualitative erythrocyte alterations that may have a pathophysiologic role in the elevated cardiovascular risk of chronic renal failure.