Aortic pulse pressure is associated with carotid IMT in chronic kidney disease: report from Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a disproportionate risk of cardiovascular disease. This study was designed to assess the association between two noninvasive measures of cardiovascular risk, pulse wave analysis (PWA), and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), in a cohort of CKD patients enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study.

Methods: Three hundred and sixty-seven subjects with CKD enrolled in the CRIC study at the University of Pennsylvania site (mean age 59.

Beta-blockers for hypertension: are they going out of style?

Although beta-blockers lower blood pressure in most patients, the outcomes of clinical hypertension trials of these drugs have been disappointing, and the value of beta-blockers in treating hypertensive patients who do not have compelling indications for them has been questioned. Until these drugs are proved beneficial, they should be used as antihypertensive therapy only in patients with compelling cardiac indications for them or as add-on agents in those with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension.

Blood pressure goals and arterial stiffness in chronic kidney disease.

The association of optimal blood pressure (BP) control and arterial stiffness was evaluated in 172 patients with chronic kidney disease. The authors compared the augmentation index (AIx) of patients who achieved a recommended BP goal (<130/80 mm Hg) with those who did not (> or = 130/80 mm Hg). The median age was 57 years, 60% were male, and 70% were Caucasian.

Resistant hypertension in the elderly.

Resistant hypertension is more prevalent in the elderly population. Current data clearly shows the benefit of blood pressure control in older individuals. It is important to first differentiate pseudoresistance from true resistant and institute appropriate therapy.

Uric acid transport.

Purpose Of Review: The goal of this article is to review the physiology and describe newly defined molecular mechanisms that are responsible for renal urate transport.

Recent Findings: Four complementary DNAs have recently been cloned whose expressed proteins transport urate. Two of these proteins have been localized to the apical membrane of proximal tubular cells: one, a urate transporter/channel, a galectin, is an electrogenic transporter (an ion channel); the second is a urate-anion electroneutral exchanger, a member of the organic anion transporter family.