A prospective study of the determinants of renal functional outcome and mortality in atherosclerotic renovascular disease

Atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD) commonly causes renal failure and hypertension and is accompanied by high cardiovascular comorbidity and mortality. Interrelationships between these factors remain poorly understood. Patients with ARVD presenting to a single center between 1995 and 1999 were followed up, with prospective collection of clinical and biochemical data. Fifty men and 48 women were identified. Mean age at entry was 68.7 ± 8.3 (SD) years, and baseline creatinine clearance (CrCl) was 35.5 ± 20.7 mL/min. During follow-up (27.7 ± 18.7 months), 10 patients required dialysis therapy, 11 patients underwent revascularization, and 35 patients (36%) died. Patients in whom renal function deteriorated during follow-up (n = 61) had similar ages, baseline CrCls, blood pressures, and comorbidities compared to patients with stable function. Mortality (55.7% versus 27.0%; P < 0.01) and proteinuria (protein, 1.3 ± 1.6 versus 0.3 ± 0.4 g/24 h; P < 0.001) were greater in patients with declining function. Baseline renal function was not significantly related to blood pressure, proteinuria, or change in renal function during follow-up (change in CrCl), but patients with a lower CrCl had increased mortality. There was no increase in cardiovascular comorbidity in groups with lower renal function. Patients with the most severe anatomic ARVD had worse hypertension and increased mortality, but severity of ARVD was unrelated to extent of renal dysfunction and proteinuria at baseline. Lack of correlation between renal artery anatomy and baseline renal function or functional outcome and correlation between renal functional outcome and proteinuria suggest that renal parenchymal damage is a major determinant of renal dysfunction and outcome in ARVD.