Correlation of coronary plaque characteristics and obstructive stenosis with chronic kidney disease by coronary CT angiography

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been a worldwide public health problem (1-4). Increasing prevalence of CKD is astounding. In the United States about 8 million adults had CKD of at least stage 3 (1), and investigation on adult population of Beijing in China showed that the prevalence of CKD was 13.0% (2). As a result, CKD has been an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3-5). Progressive impairment of renal function will independently give rise to increased risks of CVD. CKD patients are more likely to die of CVD than to progress to ESKD (6). Epidemiological studies from China showed the prevalence of ESKD in China is far less than the prevalence of mild or moderate renal insufficiency (2,7,8). Hence, the burden of CVD in the population with CKD should be emphasized. It may induce a greater impairment of health than does ESKD