Genetic Susceptibility to Cardiovascular Disease in Patients on Kidney Dialysis

This study, done in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, will examine the role of genes in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients undergoing kidney dialysis. The rate of illness and death from CVD among patients on dialysis is extraordinarily high, accounting for about 50 percent of deaths. Blood levels of inflammatory markers are elevated in these patients, strongly predicting illness and death from CVD. The discovery of gene variants related to the inflammatory process in atherosclerotic CVD may lead to better medical treatments and improved survival in patients with end-stage kidney disease. Participants of John's Hopkins University's CHOICE (Choices for Healthy Outcomes in Caring for End-Stage Renal Disease) program are included in this study. Blood samples previously collected from these patients will be analyzed in the laboratory for genes that might be associated with the inflammatory process and atherogenesis.