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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Chronic azotemic renovascular disease is common in patients with atherosclerosis. Its prevalence appears to be increasing in the aging population. How often it is the primary cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is not yet certain. Some studies suggest that 10%-40% of elderly hypertensive patients with newly documented ESRD and no demonstrable primary renal disease have significant renal artery stenosis (RAS). Atherosclerotic vascular occlusive disease of the renal arteries does progress, but current rates of progression and occlusion are lower than those reported a decade ago. Methods of identifying patients whose renal function is at true risk from vascular occlusive disease and determining who will benefit from intervention remain elusive. The presence of RAS in an azotemic patient can be assessed with noninvasive and risk-free radiologic techniques, including Duplex doppler velicometry and magnetic resonance angiography. Functional tests that predict the change in renal function after revascularization are not yet available. However, a renal length of greater than 7.5 cm in the absence of renal cysts and a short history of renal functional deterioration indicate a good prognosis. Patients with recent deterioration in renal function, those with bilateral renal artery stenosis or stenosis to a single functioning kidney, those with flash pulmonary edema, advanced chronic renal failure, or ESRD (who have much to gain), those with reversible azotemia during angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor antagonist (ARB) therapy, and those whose conditions cannot be managed medically should be considered for revascularization. Results from recent controlled clinical trials of the response to percutaneous transluminal renal artery angioplasty (PTRA) and stenting indicate that improvement in blood pressure control or renal function is not a predictable outcome of renal revascularization. In azotemic groups, 25%-30% of patients achieve important recovery of renal function. Thus, significant progress has been made recently in determining whether RAS is a frequent, treatable cause of renal failure. The decision to recommend revascularization remains a difficult balance between the risks and expense of the procedure and the undoubted benefits that accrue if renal function is successfully stabilized.
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PMID:Renal artery stenosis: a common, treatable cause of renal failure? 1116 Jul 87

An 83-year-old female who had previously (32 years ago) donated a kidney to her husband presented with loin pain, confusion and oliguria. Acute renal failure and pulmonary edema necessitated emergency hemodialysis. The history and findings were thought to be consistent with acute renal artery occlusion on a background of atherosclerosis and severe renal artery stenosis. We present this case, not to imply that renal donation is a hazardous procedure, but rather as an illustration of a complication of donor nephrectomy that in a very large series has proved to be extremely rare. This case illustrates the point that even very rare events become more likely as the period of follow-up increases.
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PMID:A late complication of spousal kidney donation. 1214 8

The clinical diagnosis of renal artery stenosis relies on a high index of suspicion and confirmation by noninvasive imaging modalities. There are three distinct clinical syndromes associated with renal artery stenosis: renin-dependent hypertension, essential hypertension, and ischemic nephropathy. Clinical features that should heighten suspicion for renal artery stenosis include abrupt-onset or accelerated hypertension at any age, unexplained acute or chronic azotemia, azotemia induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, asymmetric renal dimensions, and congestive heart failure with normal ventricular function. Patients with true renin-dependent (renovascular) hypertension are typically young or middle-age women with renal fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). Initial therapy for renovascular hypertension associated with FMD is an ACE inhibitor; refractory hypertension responds readily to balloon angioplasty without stenting. Elderly patients with generalized atherosclerosis and hypertension often have atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS); hypertension in these patients is usually not renin dependent (ie, essential hypertension). Hypertension alone, even if treated with multiple medications, is not a compelling indication for renal artery revascularization; these patients should be treated aggressively with antihypertensive medical therapy. Renal artery revascularization with stenting may be considered for refractory severe hypertension, and would be expected to improve blood control and modestly reduce medication requirements. Renal revascularization rarely cures hypertension in patients with ARAS. Patients with ARAS, hypertension, and end-organ injury should be considered for renal revascularization. Manifestations of end-organ injury include nonischemic pulmonary edema; hypertensive crisis associated with acute coronary syndrome, aortic dissection, or neurologic impairment; and renal insufficiency. Ischemic nephropathy is best treated before the development of advanced renal failure. The best candidates for revascularization are those with baseline serum creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL, bilateral renal artery stenosis, normal renal resistive indices, no proteinuria, and one or more manifestations of end-organ injury. In these patients, renal revascularization is best accomplished by stenting, although surgical revascularization may be considered in patients with concomitant severe aortic aneurysmal or occlusive disease.
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PMID:Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis. 1268 6

One of the clinical manifestations of renovascular hypertension (RVH) may be a recurrent pulmonary oedema both in the absence or in the presence of systolic left ventricular dysfunction. This type of pulmonary oedema characterized as "flash" pulmonary oedema is ascribed to elevated angiotensin II concentrations with consequent hypertension as well as to volume overload resulting from decreased pressor natriuresis when there are significant stenoses of both or one renal arteries. The investigation included 30 patients with RVH treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the stenosed renal artery (PTRA) and/or stent implantation (PTR-ST) and 30 patients with surgical resection of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The first group was divided in two subgroups according to the etiology of renal artery stenosis (RAS). In the subgroup with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) the mean age was 37.5 years, in the subgroup with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) 54.8 years and in the group with operated AAA 68.6 years. There were more females than males only in the FMD subgroup (10:3). Two patients of the first group experienced pulmonary oedema, both in the subgroup with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis associated with atherosclerosis of other arteries. Normalization of the blood pressure following PTRA in both and an uncomplicated course after a surgical myocardial revascularization in one of them illustrates the importance of renal revascularization. Pulmonary oedema occurred preoperatively in four out of 30 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm in whom significant renal artery stenoses coexisted. Two patients died despite surgery, one patient is clinically stable and the medicament treatment of heart failure is inevitable in the fourth with a left ventricular aneurysm following myocardial infarction. The occurrence or recurrence of pulmonary oedema in the absence of other explanation should suggest the possibility of bilateral or unilateral renal artery stenosis requiring renal revascularization for blood pressure regulation as well as for elimination of other manifestations/complications.
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PMID:["Flash" pulmonary edema as a clinical manifestation of renovascular hypertension]. 1469 25

Essential hypertension accounts for 95% of all cases of hypertension. A small number of patients (between 2% and 5%) have a reversible disease as the cause for raised blood pressure. Unilateral and bilateral renal artery stenosis may be responsible for secondary hypertension. Diagnosis and treatment of renal artery stenosis are of a great importance. Revascularization of ischemic kidney may correct blood pressure control and preserve renal function. Much data suggest close pathophysiological relation between renal artery stenosis, ischemic nephropathy and development of hypertension. However, it should be stressed that not every renal artery stenosis leads to hypertension and ischemic nephropathy. Therefore diagnosis of renal artery stenosis in hypertensive patient is not always equivalent with renovascular hypertension. The true prevalence of renal artery stenosis is unknown. In unselected population it accounts for less than 1% of hypertensive patients. Renovascular etiology of hypertension may be suggested by abrupt onset of hypertension, resistant and malignant hypertension or recurrent pulmonary edema of unknown etiology. Physical examination may reveal bruits over major vessels, including the abdominal aorta and renal arteries. The principle aim of the renal artery stenosis investigation is to confirm presence and size of vessel obstruction and its association with hypertension. Typical evaluation is based on imaging techniques and physiological studies. Former include: doppler duplex ultrasonography, conventional angiography, intraarterial and intravenous digital subtraction angiography, computed axial tomography, magnetic resonance angiography and intravascular ultrasonography. Functional studies are occasionally used. These are renal scintigraphy, evaluation of plasma renin activity in renal veins and evaluation of plasma rennin activity after ACE inhibition. Treatment of patients with renal artery stenosis and hypertension should restore vessel patency and inhibit its occlusion. Revascularization should elicit an improvement in or normalization of blood pressure control and renal function. Therapeutic approach include percutaneous renal artery angioplasty (PTRA), with or without stenting, revascularization by surgery and pharmacotherapy. PTRA is currently the first choice option. In general, it is simpler and similarly effective as surgical reconstruction. In some cases PTRA is completed with stent placement. It prevents immediate recoil but does not completely eliminate restenosis of revascularized artery. Surgical bypass is currently reserved for patients in whom PTRA and stenting fail and in patients with extensive atherosclerotic lesions. Patients with renal artery stenosis and hypertension should be provided with pharmacological treatment according to current recommendations. Specific procedures to limit associated risk factors of atherosclerosis should also be introduced.
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PMID:[Renovascular hypertension: is it only the top of the iceberg?]. 1497 69

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is most commonly due to either fibromuscular dysplasia or atherosclerosis. The former predominates in young women while atherosclerosis is usually encountered in individuals over the age of 55. The most common clinical manifestation of fibromuscular dysplasia is hypertension, which can frequently be cured or significantly improved with percutaneous balloon dilation. Atherosclerotic RAS may present with hypertension, renal failure (ischemic nephropathy), recurrent episodes of congestive heart failure and flash pulmonary edema or may be discovered incidentally during an imaging procedure for some other reason. Screening tests for RAS have improved considerably over the last decade. While captopril renography was utilized almost exclusively in the past, duplex ultrasound of the renal arteries or magnetic resonance angiography have replaced other modalities as the screening test of choice in many centers. Rarely does an arteriogram have to be performed for diagnostic purposes only. Management of RAS consists of three possible strategies: medical management, surgical management or percutaneous therapy with balloon angioplasty and stent implantation. The treatment of choice to control hypertension in patients with fibromuscular disease is percutaneous angioplasty. Renal artery stenting has replaced surgical revascularization for most patients with atherosclerotic disease who meet the criteria for intervention.
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PMID:Renal artery disease: diagnosis and management. 1502 99

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) is a rare occurrence in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in renal transplant patients on immunosuppressive therapy. RPGN post ischemia-reperfusion has not been previously reported. We report a 62 year old male patient on azathioprine therapy, 9 years after left cadaveric renal transplantation due to end stage renal disease of unknown etiology, who presented with progressive deterioration in renal function and hematuria. Renal biopsy was consistent with IgAN. Duplex and CT scan demonstrated a decreased renal graft perfusion, due to severe atherosclerosis and stenosis of iliac arteries. The patient underwent left axilo-femoral bypass graft surgery with improvement in kidney graft perfusion and function. However, few weeks later, patient presented with pulmonary edema and advanced renal failure and he was initiated on hemodialysis. Repeated renal biopsy demonstrated crescentic GN. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of RPGN following reversal of ischemia and reperfusion. There was no evidence for atherembolic disease which is not uncommon after vascular surgery and it has been reported to be rarely associated to crescentic GN. Theoretical explanations for exacerbation of IgAN to crescentic GN, following successful reperfusion, could be enhancement of capillary damage, inflammation and oxidative stress. Putative mechanisms for these phenomena may be interaction of reperfusion-induced hyperfiltration, high intraglomerular capillary pressure, oxidative stress, increased polymorphonucler cells infiltration and inflammation; the presence of IgA immune deposits and azathioprine metabolites, both can also be associated to enhancement of oxidative stress.
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PMID:Post-reperfusion rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in post-transplant IgA nephropathy. 1515 Dec 70

HIV infection is a global public health issue that is frequently associated with cardiovascular involvement. These HIV-associated cardiovascular manifestations are often clinically occult or attributed incorrectly to other non-cardiac disease processes. A heightened awareness and routine screening for cardiovascular involvement in HIV-infected patients leads to earlier detection and the hope for a reduction in associated morbidity and mortality. Left ventricular dysfunction, an independent predictor of mortality in HIV-infected patients, is the result of many causes in this population and may result in dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure in about 10% of patients. Other HIV-associated cardiovascular problems include infective endocarditis, cardiovascular malignancy, pulmonary arterial hypertension, vasculitis, pericardial effusion, premature atherosclerosis, and arrhythmias. HIV-associated cardiovascular emergencies include congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, endocarditis, and tamponade. Anti-infective and immunomodulatory therapies may be particularly helpful in this population to reduce associated cardiovascular disease. Highly active antiretroviral therapy may result in lipodystrophy, hyperlipidemia, truncal adiposity, and insulin resistance that can be improved by physical activity and training programs. Cardiovascular complications of therapeutic drugs in HIV-infected patients include torsade de pointes, congestive heart failure, dyslipidemia, accelerated atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction. In summary, cardiovascular complications are important contributors to morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients that can be detected early in many cases and treated effectively.
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PMID:HIV-related cardiovascular disease and drug interactions. 1544 73

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is a common condition associated with hypertension and renal insufficiency. The high prevalence of RAS patients with coronary and lower extremity vascular disease has been well established. Fibromuscular dysplasia in young females and atherosclerosis in patients over the age of 55 are the most common causes. Poorly controlled hypertension refractory to medical therapy, worsening of renal function, and flash pulmonary edema may point to underlying RAS. Duplex ultrasonography and magnetic resonance angiography have largely replaced captopril scanning for RAS screening. However, renal angiography still remains the gold standard to diagnose RAS. Treatment options include medical therapy, angioplasty, and surgery. In general, patients with a stenosis greater than 50%, a translesional systolic pressure gradient greater than 15 mm Hg, and difficult-to-control hypertension and/or worsening renal insufficiency are candidates for renal revascularization. Percutaneous transluminal revascularization has evolved to become the preferred revascularization therapy because it is a less invasive and more cost-effective alternative to surgery and is associated with high technical success, as well as a low complication rate. The natural history of RAS is to progress over time, leading to renal artery occlusion, loss of renal mass, worsening of renal function, and, ultimately, end-stage renal disease. It is therefore important to aggressively screen, recognize, and treat the entity early in its course.
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PMID:Current advances in the diagnosis and treatment of renal artery stenosis. 1558 Jan 59

Emerging evidence supports a novel view of hypertension as a disease of inadequate or aberrant responses to angiogenic growth factors (AGF). Patients with hypertension have reduced microvascular density, with some evidence supporting a primary role for rarefaction in causing hypertension. Two clinical models have demonstrated a link between inhibition of AGF activity and hypertension. A major side effect of bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is hypertension. Pre-eclampsia is accompanied by high circulating levels of soluble VEGF receptor-1, which forms inactive complexes with VEGF and placental growth factor (PlGF). Paradoxically, early studies have demonstrated high circulating levels of AGF in hypertension. Several mechanisms may account for this finding including increased vascular stretch, tissue ischemia, compensatory responses, decreased clearance or a combination of these mechanisms. High AGF in hypertension could contribute to clinical sequelae such as peripheral and pulmonary edema, microalbuminuria, and progression of atherosclerosis. However, a role for altered angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of hypertension or its sequelae has not been established. Novel studies to understand the roles of AGF in hypertensive patients are warranted.
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PMID:Angiogenic growth factors and hypertension. 1560 74


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