Kidney Diseases beyond Nephrology Kidney disease in cardiology

Once again the Twin Cities of St Paul and Minneapolis are resplendent in their brilliant Minnesota fall foliage (and presidential election campaign signs). A new bridge over the Mississippi River has been raised and opened since last year. The detritus of the Republican convention 4 weeks ago has been swept away; the same cannot yet be said for the mess arising from the current financial crisis. In light of current events, the focus of my third annual column highlighting publications in non-nephrology journals dealing with cardiorenal issues relevant to nephrologists may seem curiously irrelevant. The clinical importance of the topic, however, remains undiminished by Wall Street meltdowns, so once again, a potpourri of articles of interest is submitted for your approval. The clinical topics highlighted in these articles include acute kidney injury (AKI), statins in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ischaemic heart disease in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.