How to balance risks and benefits in the management of CKD patients with coronary artery disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a high burden of coronary artery disease (CAD), which remains the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in CKD patients. Although the management of CAD is more challenging in patients with CKD than in the general population, and coupled with concerns about further deterioration of renal function and therapy-related toxic effects, CKD patients and those receiving dialysis have not traditionally been included in randomized trials evaluating either medical or revascularization therapies. Thus, only scant data from small prospective studies or retrospective analyses of controlled trials and registries are available, and to date no optimal treatment approach has been defined for this subgroup of patients. However, they potentially have much to gain from the pharmacological, interventional, and surgical strategies used in the general population. Thus, the objective of this review is to summarize the current evidence regarding the management of CAD in CKD patients, in particular with respect to uncertainties regarding coronary revascularization options, and their risk-benefit relationship in such a high-risk population.