Background: The relationship between Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and the prevalence of Renal Artery Stenosis (RAS) has been demonstrated. Despite high incidence of heart diseases and high frequency of CAD risk factors among Iranian population, this relation has not been clearly determined. This study estimated the prevalence of RAS and its determinants in Iranian angiographic candidates. We also tried to find which risk factors of atherosclerosis are associated more frequently with renal artery stenosis.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study that was performed at the Tehran Heart Center, in Tehran, Iran, 146 patients who were candidate for angiography with suspected CAD were consecutively included. Selective renal angiography was performed following coronary angiography in all patients with established coronary artery stenosis and the presence and severity of RAS was evaluated.

Results: Prevalence of RAS in study patients was 25.3% (men, 13.7% and women 47.1%, (p<0.001). We found that only 6.2% of the patients had bilateral R.A.S. Also, RAS≥50% was found in 17.1% of patients. Regarding number of defected coronary vessels, two- and three-vessel diseases were found in 30.0% and 39.0% of participants, respectively. No significant relationship was found between the number of involved coronaries and the severity as well as side of RAS (p=0.716) Significant multivariate predictors of RAS were female gender (p=0.001), advanced age, (p=0.046) duration of hypertension (p=0.032) and baseline serum creatinine concentration (p=0.018).

Conclusions: Routine angiographic assessment of renal arteries following coronary angiography is recommended especially in women as well as those with long-term duration of hypertension or renal dysfunction.