title: Renal artery stenosis: an update on diagnosis and management.
abstract: Reno-vascular disease, along with diabetes mellitus, is the leading cause of dialysis in the elderly population, accounting for 50-66% of cases in patients above 65 years of age. Reno-vascular disease is a broad term, which includes renal artery stenosis, ischemic nephropathy, such as atherosclerotic obstruction, thrombo-embolic phenomenon, nephrosclerosis secondary to hypertension and acute occlusion of renal arteries (either bilateral or unilateral in singlekidney patients). Renal artery stenosis, defined as a 50% or greater occlusion of a renal artery (unilateral or bilateral), is an important cause of secondary hypertension. It often presents as drug refractory hypertension or renal insufficiency. Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis accounts for 90% of such cases, the remaining 10% being caused by fibro-muscular dysplasia. The incidence of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is increasing among the aging population, who are at an increased risk due to cardiovascular complications. This is a review of the emerging trends in the diagnosis and management of renal artery stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Prithviraj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Osvaldo S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Gigliotti
authors.forename: Biju
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: Kizhake C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kurian