Renal artery stenosis may be a cause of hypertension and a potential contributor to progressive renal insufficiency. However, the prevalence of renal artery disease in a general population is poorly defined. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of angiographically-determined renal artery narrowing in a patient population undergoing routine cardiac catheterization, and to identify the risk factors for renal artery stenosis. After left ventriculography, abdominal aortography was performed to screen for the presence of renal artery stenosis. A total of 427 patients (274 males, 153 females) were studied and the mean age was 59 years. Renal artery narrowing was identified in 10.5% of patients. Significant (> or = 50% diameter narrowing) renal artery stenosis was found in 24 patients (5.6%) and insignificant stenosis was found in 21 patients (4.9%). Significant unilateral stenosis was present in 4.2% of patients and bilateral stenosis was present in 1.4%. The stem of the renal artery was a more common site of stenosis in 62.2% of patients than in the ostium (37.8%), but the severity of stenosis was not significantly different according to the site of stenosis. By univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, the association of clinical variables with renal artery stenosis was assessed. Multivariable predictors included age, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease (p < 0.05). The variables such as sex, smoking history, hyperlipidemia, renal insufficiency, as well as the presence of obesity, severity of coronary heart disease and D.M., were not associated. In conclusion, the prevalence of angiographically-determined renal artery narrowing in a patient population undergoing cardiac catheterization is 10.5%. Old age, hypertension and evidence of peripheral vascular disease represent the predictors of renal artery stenosis.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Heart Catheterization* ; Human ; Hypertension/etiology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Renal Artery Obstruction/etiology ; Renal Artery Obstruction/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors of transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS).

METHODSThe clinical records of 26 patients undergoing renal transplantation in our hospital between 2000 and 2005 were retrospectively analyzed, whose final diagnosis of TRAS was established on the basis of arteriographic findings. A case-control group of 52 post-renal transplantation patients were sampled by stratified randomization, whose blood pressure and renal graft function were without complications of avascularity or urinary passage. The two groups were matched for the operation time, gender, age, primary diseases, blood type, PRA and HLA matching and use of immunosuppressants. Possible events related to TRAS such as cold ischemia time, acute rejection, delayed graft function and approaches of arterial anastomosis were compared.

RESULTSFifteen patients (57.7%) with TRAS had a history of acute rejection episode, 7 (26.9%) had delayed graft function, both rates of which were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The cold ischemic time and type of arterial anastomosis showed no significant effect on TRAS occurrence (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPost-transplant renal artery stenosis is closely associated with acute rejection and delayed graft function but not with the cold ischemic time or the type of arterial anastomosis.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Delayed Graft Function ; complications ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; complications ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Artery Obstruction ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors