ATHEROSCLEROTIC RENOVASCULAR DISEASE AS A CAUSE OF END-STAGE RENAL-DISEASE - COST CONSIDERATIONS

Atherosclerotic vascular disease affects an increasing number of patie nts with end-stage renal disease. A review of comorbid atherosclerotic disease in 7,200 end-stage renal disease patients indicated that occl usive disease of the renal arteries may contribute to progressive rena l failure in 1.34% of the US dialysis population or in 14% of the Cauc asian patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis. The costs of dialyti c care in such patients exceed USD 87 million annually. The risks and costs of surgical revascularization of such patients are large, howeve r. These data argue that prospective trials of intervention in atheros clerotic renal artery disease are urgently needed.