The prevalence and clinical predictors of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Renal artery stenosis is an important cause of secondary hypertension as well as ischemic nephropathy. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical predictors in patients with renal artery stenosis in a population referred for coronary angiography. From March 1998 to July 1999, 1459 patients undergoing coronary angiography for various indications were routinely screened for renal artery stenosis by undergoing abdominal aortography. Coronary angiography, carotid angiography, and abdominal aortography was performed via either the radial or the femoral approach. The data were analyzed retrospectively. Out of 1459 patients undergoing abdominal aortography, 158 (10.8%) were found to have significant renal artery stenosis with 24 of the patients having bilateral stenosis. Significant coronary artery diseases were found in 994 of the 1459 study population (68.1%), with 134 (13.5%) of these patients having concomitant renal artery stenosis. Multivariate logistic regression showed that extracranial carotid artery stenosis odds ratio [(OR) 4.89 (95% confidence interval 2.57-9.33), P < 0.001], peripheral artery disease [OR 4.64 (2.65-9.33), P < 0.001], renal insufficiency [OR 2.68 (1.43-5.02), P = 0.002], significant coronary artery disease [OR 2.01 (1.12-3.59), P = 0.019], hypercholesterolemia [OR 1.92 (1.07-3.43), P = 0.028], hypertension [OR 1.85 (1.16-2.95), P = 0.010], and old age (> 60 years) [OR 1.64 (1.01-2.64), P = 0.044] were significant clinical predictors of renovascular disease. The prevalence of indolent atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is relatively high in selected groups of patients with high clincial risk factors for this underdiagnosed disease. Renal artery stenosis should be highly suspected in patients who have these risk factors because early detection of this disease may reverse the progression to chronic renal failure and end-stage renal disease.