Scientists Discover Why Kidney Disease Leads to This Deadly Heart Problem

Scientists have been trying to solve the puzzle of the kidney-heart connection. They discovered that diseased kidneys release a tiny toxin that is damaging to the heart. The findings were published in the journal Circulation.

Chronic kidney disease affects roughly one in seven people, an estimated 35.5 million people in the U.S., according to the National Institute and Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. In human and mouse studies, using blood samples, researchers discovered a tiny toxin, called circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs), which causes cardiotoxicity, impairing heart function, and contributing to heart failure. Researchers compared blood from patients before and after dialysis to patients who did not have kidney conditions. Kidney failure causes fluid build-up, which taxes the heart and can disrupt regular heart rhythms.

“Heart failure and kidney disease are very, very closely intertwined conditions,” said Janani Rangaswami, a nephrologist and professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine, to the Washington Post. “Almost one in two individuals with heart failure will have some degree of kidney dysfunction, and kidney disease is a very powerful risk enhancer for the development of heart failure.”

This research could change the way kidney doctors manage kidney disease with different doses or combinations of medications to help patients have better outcomes.

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of kidney problems, you should probably have your blood checked by a healthcare professional. Heart disease risk starts around age 35, so it’s important to know your status.