Role of uremic toxins in vascular disease—the end of nihilism?

Abstract

The liver and kidneys are the main organs involved in the metabolism and elimination of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as their breakdown products. When kidney or liver function is impaired, these metabolites accumulate and contribute to the clinical features of advanced liver disease or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The term “uremic toxins” was coined decades ago to describe the compounds that accumulate in ESKD. In 2003, the European Uremic Toxin Work Group listed 90 such solutes.