Disorders of blood-lipids in renal disease.

Hyperlipidaemia is a characteristic feature not only of the nephrotic syndrome but also of chronic renal disease without the features of that syndrome. There is evidence for disordered lipid metabolism in patients with chronic renal disease. In these patients the disordered lipid metabolism, the precise cause of which is unknown, is characterised by hypertriglyceridaemia, the aetiology of which is probably multifactorial. Hyperlipidaemia is an important potential risk factor in the aetiology of cardiovascular disease, which may be a leading cause of death in patients undergoing long-term maintenance haemodialysis therapy.