Cardiac structure and function in renal disease.

Abstract

Cardiac death secondary to ischaemia, but not necessarily associated with coronary lesions, is the leading cause of death in uraemic patients. This article reviews recent findings that demonstrate abnormalities of cardiac structure which have a bearing on ischaemia tolerance. These abnormalities comprise the following: (1) left ventricular hypertrophy not fully explained by increased mean arterial pressure, (2) interstitial fibrosis and (3) abnormalities of myocardial microvasculature, i.e. capillary rarefaction and arteriolar-wall thickening.