LAUSR

I t has been well established that cardiovascular mortality is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Because the presence of traditional risk factors such as hypertension, aging, smoking, diabetes, and abnormal lipid metabolism does not fully explain the propensity of cardiovascular disease, the presence of other contributing pathophysiology has been postulated. Many studies have shown that a high percentage of patients with CKD have vascular calcifications, stressing its impact on the high morbidity and mortality in this population. Vascular calcification is defined as the inappropriate and pathological deposition of mineral in the form of calcium phosphate salts into the vascular tissues. There are 2 distinct types of vascular calcifications based on their location and association with atherosclerotic plaque formation. One affects intimal layer and occurs within atherosclerotic plaques; the other affects the medial layer. The consequences of the 2