Iron overload and cardiovascular complications in dialysis patients
Abstract
Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at a markedly increased risk for cardiovascular complications compared with the general population. In addition to traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia or cigarette smoking, a number of population-specific factors are implicated, such as anaemia, hyperhomocysteinaemia, hyperphosphataemia and vascular calcification, as well as inflammation and oxidative stress. Iron overload has been suggested to increase the cardiovascular risk in the general population. Iron supplementation is a widespread clinical practice in ESRD, especially in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD). Iron may therefore contribute to cardiovascular complications through effects on low-density lipoprotein oxidation and endothelial dysfunction. Although the effects of iron stores and iron therapy on cardiovascular risk are not well defined in HD patients, the 'iron hypothesis' deserves attention: serum ferritin is a marker of morbidity and mortality in HD patients, and the administration of high amounts of intravenous iron increases the risks of hospitalization and death. In contrast to intravenous iron therapy, intestinal iron absorption is regulate...Continue Reading
Citations
Long-term effects of an oral iron chelator, deferasirox, in hemodialysis patients with iron overload
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Cardiovascular Inflammation
Inflammation plays a significant role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, an understanding of these endogenous processes is critical for evaluating the risks and potential treatment strategies. Discover the latest research on cardiovascular inflammation here.
Cardiovascular Disease Pathophysiology
Cardiovascular disease involves several different processes that contribute to the pathological mechanism, including hyperglycemia, inflammation, atherosclerosis, hypertension and more. Vasculature stability plays a critical role in the development of the disease. Discover the latest research on cardiovascular disease pathophysiology here.
Anemia
Anemia develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. Anemia of inflammation (AI, also called anemia of chronic disease) is a common, typically normocytic, normochromic anemia that is caused by an underlying inflammatory disease. Here is the latest research on anemia.