Figure 1: The 'cardiorenal continuum' reflects the different stages of cardiovascular disease and renal disease, which are often interlinked.
From: Current challenges in the clinical management of hypertension
In clinical practice, three different stages can be identified. In the first, only cardiovascular risk factors are detected. In the second stage, target-organ damage (mostly albuminuria, a low estimated glomerular filtration rate, or left ventricular hypertrophy) is discovered. The third stage is characterized by the presence of symptomatic target-organ damage or that of of established cardiovascular disease, renal disease, or both. Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease; ESRD, end-stage renal disease. Reprinted from Dzau, V. & Braunwald, E. Resolved and unresolved issues in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease: a workshop consensus statement. Am. Heart J. 121(4), 1244–1263 © 1991 with permission from Elsevier.
