Kidney Problems May Affect Heart, Arteries

People with two healthy kidneys are said to have 100% of their kidney function. A drop in how the kidneys function can increase a person’s risk of heart and artery problems, two new studies suggest. One study kept track of 4,378 elderly people for 8 years. About one-quarter of them had a decline in kidney function. They were more likely to have a heart attack or develop heart failure than people without kidney problems. They also were more likely to develop peripheral artery disease. The other study included 13,029 people. All were age 45 to 64 when the study began. Researchers kept track of them for 9 years. Some people’s kidney function dropped by more than 5.6% per year. People in this group had a higher risk of developing heart disease. They also were more likely to die early than people with stable kidney function.