Cardiorenal Syndrome: the bidirectional heart-kidney axis

Cardiorenal syndrome is configured as a set of disorders that affect the heart and/or kidneys, and induce a series of events that alter the entire pre-existing axis between the two systems. Accurate diagnosis and adequate monitoring of patients with cardiovascular and renal diseases have become increasingly frequent. Systems are increasingly interconnected, and paying attention to changes has become fundamental. The objective of this article is to characterize cardiorenal syndrome, highlighting its clinical, pathophysiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic management aspects. Dogs and cats are susceptible to kidney changes that alter blood flow, which can interfere with cardiac function, and the reverse may also occur, particularly if dogs/cats already have the organ affected by other diseases. Furthermore, a series of systemic events can end up interfering even more with the communication between the two systems. The monitoring and follow-up of cardiac and/or nephropathic patients are of fundamental importance in determining the best therapeutic management to be instituted, thereby avoiding complications and injuries to other organs, preventing aggravations to the patient's clinical condition, and reducing their life expectancy.