Reduced renal function has been estimated to affect
almost 1 in 5 people in North America [1, 2] . Further-more, renal impairment is associated with significant co-morbidity that increases with progressive renal decline.
Once an individual reaches end-stage renal disease
(ESRD), cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for
approximately half of deaths. These individuals are 20
times more likely to have a cardiovascular-related death
than for their kidneys to progressively fail to require di-alysis or transplantation.