Kidney dysfunction: a sensitive predictor of cardiovascular risk.

Changes in renal function can be detected in patients suffering from essential hypertension and heart failure. Detection of an increased serum creatinine, a decreased creatinine clearance and of proteinuria or microalbuminuria in hypertensive patients; and the finding of a diminution in the value of estimated creatinine clearance in heart failure patients are very potent predictors for a worse outcome of the patient. The parameters commonly used to evaluate renal function have to be considered in any stratification of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive and heart failure patients.