It is common knowledge that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)—which prompted a research team from New Zealand to investigate this association. In a study published in Nephrology, researchers share their findings from a comparative analysis of people with healthy kidney function and patients with CKD (stage 2 or higher) from the All New Zealand Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement (ANZACS‐QI) national registry.*

Research and investigation details

The study’s authors took data from a group of 20,604 individuals in the ANZACS‐QI national registry. The group included people with normal kidney function and patients with stages 2, 3, 4, or 5 CKD.

The following elements were collected and analyzed: 

• risk factors, 
• diagnostics, 
• treatments, and 
• outcomes.

Results and conclusions

Major bleeding, recurring myocardial infarctions (heart attack) or strokes, and/or death all increased regularly based on the severity of the patient’s CKD stage. 

In comparison with individuals with health kidneys:

• Stage 5 CKD patients had the most significant increase in all-cause mortality, CVDs, and non-cardiovascular mortality.
• Moreover, stage 5 CKD patients had a higher risk of multiple heart attacks or strokes and major bleeding.
• Patient demographics showed that those “with severe CKD were more likely to be Māori or Pacific and live in an area with greater socioeconomic deprivation.”
  

The research team concluded that further efforts are needed to better understand the association between CKD and CVD in order to develop approaches to improve the outcomes for these patients.

Additional insight can be found in the MDLinx article that summarizes the study.

*Pilmore, H.; Xiong F.; Choi, Y.; Poppe, K.; et al. (2020, Feb. 27). “Impact of chronic kidney disease on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes after acute coronary syndrome: a nationwide data linkage study.” Nephrology.