Gene predicts renal problems after heart surgery:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A gene implicated in Alzheimer's disease may indicate which patients undergoing heart surgery are most likely to suffer post-operative kidney dysfunction, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesiology. A team from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, found that patients with the E-4 variant of the apolipoprotein (APO) gene were less likely to suffer renal complications than those with either of two other variants. Study leader Dr Mark Stafford-Smith says that the APOE-4 status of patients undergoing this type of surgery should be taken into consideration given the apparent higher risks for subsequent kidney complications.