Cardiovascular issues in dialysis patients: challenges and newer insights.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among people with chronic kidney disease. In this review, we provide an update on how the association between renal dysfunction and cardiovascular disease goes beyond traditional cardiac risk factors, and we consider some of the key studies that link renal dysfunction with the development of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Unique challenges facing clinicians that treat patients with end-stage renal disease, particularly patients on peritoneal dialysis, are discussed. The potential relationship between endothelial progenitor cells and the renal-cardiovascular relationship are explored. We propose that moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction should be considered a coronary artery disease equivalent and that further investigation needs to be conducted to understand this key relationship.