Is Kidney Disease Related to Heart Disease in Elderly Males?

Introduction: Kidney disease and heart disease are two common chronic diseases and although a relationship between the two has been found, there is conflicting results regarding which acts as a predisposing risk factor for the other. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between kidney disease and heart disease in males aged 65 years old and older, and to determine which acts as the predominating risk factor in the relationship. Methods: Data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Oklahoma for males aged 65 years and older was used in this cross-sectional analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between kidney disease and heart disease while controlling for diabetes, weight status, exercise, educational level, tobacco use, and ethnicity/race. Results: For males aged 65 years and older, about one-fifth reported that they had ever been diagnosed with angina or coronary heart disease (16-21%) and about one-tenth of participants reported ever being diagnosed with kidney disease (not stones, UTI, or incontinence) (5-9%). After controlling for comorbidities, behavioral factors, and socioeconomic status, kidney disease and heart disease were found to be related (moderate effect sizes) in Nevada, Arizona, and Texas, and both were found to be related to diabetes (moderate to large effect sizes) in Nevada, Arizona, and Oklahoma. Conclusions: Overall, kidney disease and heart disease were found to be related to one another and to diabetes in population-based samples of males aged 65 years and older; however, this study is unable to establish the direction of influence. Although kidney disease and heart disease would not be very prevalent in men aged 65 years and older with 5-9% and 16-21% in a primary care setting, and diabetes would be somewhat more prevalent with 23-26%, it is recommended that primary care practitioners follow the progression of patients with kidney disease, heart disease, and diabetes as screening for the others may be indicated in some patients depending on their severity and prognosis.