Hyperlipidemia and Thrombotic Complications in Patients With

Membranous nephropathy (MN), the most common cause of adult-onset nephrotic syndrome (NS) in Caucasians, is associated commonly with the secondary complications of hyperlipidemia and hypercoagulability. These may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, alter the rate of progression of renal disease, and raise the risk for thromboembolic events. The treatment of these secondary effects remains controversial. Although no clear practice guidelines are available to assist the clinician in deciding how and when to start disease-modifying therapies, the literature provides enough information to make reasonable decisions in most clinical scenarios. Prospective trials in the future will provide definitive information on how to best treat these abnormalities. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. AS THE MOST COMMON entity associatedwith adult-onset idiopathic nephrotic syn-drome (NS), membranous nephropathy (MN) and its attendant complications of hyperlipidemia and increased thrombotic risk are familiar to nephrolo-gists. These complications are believed to be sec-ondary to the proteinuria that results in homeo-static disturbances causing decreased circulatin