Impact of incidental renal artery stenosis on long-term mortality in patients with peripheral arterial disease undergoing vascular procedure.

Objective: In peripheral arterial disease (PAD), mortality is high. Incidental renal artery stenosis (RAS) is a predictor of mortality in PAD patients undergoing angiography. This might be relevant for risk-benefit assessment when vascular surgery is considered, both in terms of perioperative risk, and in terms of life expectancy.

Incidental renal artery stenosis is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with peripheral vascular disease.

In patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD), mortality is high and renal artery stenosis (RAS) is a frequent incidental finding. RAS carries a high risk for mortality, but whether incidentally discovered RAS is a risk factor for mortality is unknown. The prognostic impact of incidental RAS for mortality was studied in 550 consecutive patients who underwent intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography for PVD in a single center between 1997 and 2000.