Cardiac disease in diabetic patients with renal disease

Abstract

Patients with diabetes represent an increasing proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Cardiovascular risk, already formidable among patients on dialysis, is significantly higher among those who also have diabetes. Diabetic ESRD patients are not only at higher risk of ischaemic events, but are also subject to haemodynamic overload, because of anaemia, hypertension, and arteriovenous dialysis connections. Mortality rates are also significantly higher in these patients. Hypertension and anaemia stand out as opportunities for intervention in these patients. Anaemia per se is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular abnormalities, including left ventricular hypertrophy, and with an increased risk of mortality. The interplay of multiple risk factors in diabetic patients with ESRD demands a multidisciplinary approach for the early identification and management of cardiovascular risk factors--hypercholsterolaemia, hypertension, blood glucose and anaemia--in order to optimise outcomes in these patients.