The kidney in congestive heart failure: 'are natriuresis, sodium, and diuretics really the good, the bad and the ugly?' Vrije Universiteit Brussel Universiteit Hasselt
This review discusses renal sodium handling in heart failure. Increased sodium avidity and tendency to extracellular volume overload, i.e. congestion, are hallmark features of the heart failure syndrome. Particularly in the case of concomitant renal dysfunction, the kidneys often fail to elicit potent natriuresis. Yet, assessment of renal function is generally performed by measuring serum creatinine, which has inherent limitations as a ...