Nontraditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease

The severity and extent of cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney disease is disproportionate to the number and severity of traditional risk factors, such as diabetes and hypertension. Could uremia-related factors—including anemia, microalbuminuria, inflammation, oxidative stress, and abnormalities in bone and mineral metabolism—account for this discrepancy? Authors from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center weigh up the evidence from randomized controlled trials of interventions for these so-called 'nontraditional' risk factors.