Chronic kidney disease is a widespread condition affecting millions of people worldwide.
The disease often occurs alongside diabetes and high blood pressure and has for many years been linked to a significantly increased risk of heart problems.
Even so, the cause of this connection has remained unclear.
A known risk
Doctors and researchers have long known that people with chronic kidney disease often die from cardiovascular disease.
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According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, about one in three people with diabetes and one in five people with high blood pressure also have kidney disease.
The link to heart disease is well documented, but shared risk factors have made it difficult to determine whether kidney disease triggers heart problems or whether the relationship works in the opposite direction.
This uncertainty has made it difficult to identify precise methods for the early detection and treatment of heart failure in patients with kidney disease.
The body’s tiny messengers
Researchers from UVA Health and Mount Sinai have now identified a possible explanation.
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According to their study, published in the journal Circulation, diseased kidneys produce small particles called extracellular vesicles.
These particles normally function as signals between cells, but in this case they contain substances that can damage the heart.
The researchers found the harmful vesicles in blood samples from patients with chronic kidney disease.
In experiments with mice, heart function also improved when the circulation of these vesicles was blocked.
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New possibilities ahead
The kidneys are not only affected by the heart; they can also send harmful signals in the opposite direction.
According to researcher Uta ErdbrĂĽgger, the findings could eventually lead to new blood tests that identify patients at high risk of heart disease at an earlier stage.
Sources: UVA Health, Circulation, and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
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