Researchers from the University of Alberta have found that patients with chronic kidney disease face the same risk for a coronary event as previous heart attack sufferers. The study followed 1.3 million Canadians with risk factors for coronary events, including patients who had already had a heart attack, those with CKD, diabetes or a combination of risk factors. According to lead researcher, Dr. Marco Tonelli, “The rate of death from heart disease among people with chronic kidney disease was similar to or higher than the rate of death among people with diabetes—in whom the value of preventive treatments is well known.” Although the study did not take medications or blood pressure readings from the patients into account, the findings suggest that early drug treatments and interventions could help prevent cardiac events in kidney patients.
Source:
Risk of Coronary Events in People with Chronic Kidney Disease Compared with Those of Diabetes: A Population-Level Cohort Study, The Lancet, June 19, 2012
Chronic Kidney Disease and Heart Attack Risk, Medical News Today, June 20, 2012