Vascular calcification is a frequent complication of uremic patients. In addition to classical risk factors such as age, male gender, smoking, inflammation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, which also exist in the general population, patients with chronic renal failure have other risk factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and overtreatment with calcium and vitamin D. These latter risk factors may even have a better predictive value than classical risk factors for coronary heart disease in uremic patients.

Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel