Arterial Stiffness in Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease

Accelerated ageing is observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)/end-stage renal disease. Premature vascular aging and arterial stiffening are the most characteristic features of this progeria that is already observed in those with the early stages of CKD. Aortic stiffening is associated with high characteristic impedance, left ventricular hypertrophy, decreased coronary perfusion, and is a strong prognostic marker of mortality and cardiovascular morbidity. With aging, the arterial stiffening is more pronounced in the aorta and central arteries than in peripheral conduit arteries. This leads to progressive decrease and inversion of the arterial stiffness gradient and systemic reflection coefficient, leading to less protection of the microcirculation in the event of high-pressure transmission towards it Arterial stiffening is multifactorial with systemic microinflammation being one of the most important associated factors primarily associated with vascular calcifications. (c) 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel