Hence, the name cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) actually reflects aharmful interactionbetween these two vital organs.
To further elaborate, the interaction is two-way.
Hence, it’s not just the heart whose decline could drag the kidneys down with it.
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Similarly, patients withchronic kidney disease (CKD)are at higher risk for heart disease.
The Implications
We live in an era of ever-ubiquitous cardiovascular disease.
When failure of one organ complicates the function of the second, it significantly worsens the patient’s prognosis.
Given these implications, cardiorenal syndrome is an area of vigorous research.
It is not an uncommon entity by any means.
How It Develops
Cardiorenal syndrome begins with our body’s attempt to maintain adequate circulation.
The above steps do not necessarily progress in a linear fashion, but rather in parallel.
Fluid overload will lead to symptoms includingshortness of breath, swelling, or edema.
So how is all this harmful to the kidneys?
This is just one of the ways cardiorenal syndrome can develop.
Diagnosis
Clinical suspicion will often lead to a presumptive diagnosis.
Patients with cardiorenal syndrome experience frequent hospitalizations and increased morbidity as well as a high risk of death.
Therefore, effective treatment is essential.
Here are some options.
You might have heard of the so-called “water pills,” calledloop diuretics.
If the patient is sick enough to require hospitalization, injections of intravenous loop diuretics are used.
If bolus injections of these medications don’t work, a continuous drip may be required.
However, treatment is not that straightforward.
The kidney can often become the weak link in the chain regardless of the diuretic strength.
In this situation, invasive therapies to get fluid out like aquapheresis or evendialysismight be needed.
The evidence on these invasive therapies has yielded conflicting results.
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