Sympathetic nerve traffic overactivity in chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Studies based on microneurographic sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) recordings have shown that the sympathetic system is overactivated in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients but the relationship between MSNA and renal function and other risk factors has not been systematically reviewed in this population.DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: This meta-analysis compares MSNA in cardiovascular complications-free CKD patients (n = 638) and healthy individuals (n = 372) and assesses the relationship of MSNA with the eGFR, age, BMI and hemodynamic variables.RESULTS: In a global analysis, MSNA was higher in CKD patients than in healthy control individuals (P