BACKGROUND Despite the stable incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), it continues to be associated with an unacceptably high cardiovascular risk. SUMMARY ESRD is characterized by enhanced oxidative stress and severe inflammation, which boost cardiovascular risk, thus increasing cardiovascular-associated mortality rate. While substantial effort has been made in the technological innovati...

Anaemia is virtually universal, irrespective of aetiology or stage in patients, with Chronic Kidney Disease,including transplant-associated CKD. Anaemia a multi-factorial risk factor for the progression of CKD to End Stage Renal Disease(ESRD), reduces the quality of life and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Degree of anaemia is a reflection of severity of chronic kidney d...

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) often suffer from cardiovascular complications and comorbidities. For example, 55% of ESRD patients suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF) and cardiovascular diseases account for the majority of deaths among ESRD patients (Herzog, Ma, & Collins, 1998; National Institutes of Health; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases;...

Peritoneal dialysis is the major renal replacement therapy for children with end-stage renal disease, with hemodialysis used for a substantial number of pediatric patients. Reduction of morbidity and mortality is a major goal with the use of these modalities. Adequacy of dialysis and maintenance of peritoneal membrane function are important considerations for children on long term dialysis. Bot...

INTRODUCTION Nephrolithiasis still remains a too frequent and underappreciated cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS AND PATIENTS Of the entire cohort of 7128 consecutive patients who started maintenance dialysis in our nephrology department between January 1992 and December 2006, a total of 45 patients (26 women, 19 men) had renal stone disease as the cause of ESRD. The type of ne...

In 1969, McCully reported an association between homocystinuria, a rare metabolic disorder characterized by high blood levels ( 100 mol/L) of the amino acid homocysteine (Hcy), and severe atherosclerosis among postmortem subjects.1 His report is widely recognized as the basis for the “homocysteine hypothesis,” namely, that elevated blood Hcy is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Si...

K.M.L. Leunissen, MD, PhD, University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Internal Medicine, PO Box 5800, NL-6202 AZ Maastricht (The Netherlands) Acidosis has been identified as one of the uremic toxins. Renal acidosis may contribute to renal osteodystrophy [1] and decreased myocardial contractility [2]. Furthermore, animal experimental studies proved that acidosis plays a pivotal role in the ac...