VIEWPOINT

Commentary: Shoot the renals!

F C Luft, C M Gross

¹ Medical Faculty of the Charité, Franz-Volhard Clinic, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany

Correspondence to:
Dr F C Luft, Experimental and Clinical Research Centre, Lindenberger Weg 80, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Luft{at}charite.de

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is a growing dilemma. The condition is increasingly common and can promulgate hypertension and result in renal failure. However, patients with ARAS generally die owing to their coronaries or cerebral vessels. Intervention, by stenting or angioplasty is beloved and believed, but not proved. The American Heart Association has recently published guidelines regarding patients at high risk for ARAS who are potential candidates for revascularisation. Since this phraseology includes practically every patient with atherosclerosis, these guidelines appear ill advised.

Abbreviations: AHA, American Heart Association; ARAS, atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis; CORAL, Cardiovascular Outcomes in Renal Atherosclerotic Lesions

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Chrysochou, C, Hegarty, J, Kalra, P R, Wheatley, K, Moss, J, Kalra, P A (2008). "Shoot the renals": the evidence is actually round the corner!. Heart 94: 1333-1333 [Full Text]