The Spectrum of Uremic Toxicity

Session Description:
The kidneys, when healthy, efficiently eliminate many toxic compounds from the body, keeping concentration low in the blood. In kidney failure these uremic toxins are retained in the blood and the body, causing many complications. This session will describe the families of toxic compounds, the dietary and other precursors from which they are generated, and will focus on what is known for how these toxins cause cardiovascular and other complications.

Learning Objectives:
An increased understanding of how dietary constituents are modified in the gut and absorbed into the blood, resulting in toxin accumulation. Increased knowledge of the mechanisms by which protein bound uremic toxins cause peripheral arterial disease. Increased knowledge of how specific uremic toxins injure the endothelium in blood vessels.