Cardionephrology: A Widespread Discipline for 21th Century Medical Students and Young Nephrology Residents

Heart and kidney diseases are closely related and the term “cardio - renal syndrome” is adopted worldwide to underline that linkage. Richard Bright recognized that “hypertrophy of the heart seems in some degree to have kept pace with the advance of the disease in the kidneys” and, after him, George Johnson, William Gull, Henry Sutton, Franz Volhard, Theodor Fahr, and Henry Goldblatt confirmed Bright’s hypothesis. In 1956, Gabriele Monasterio et al, the Pisa School of Medicine introduced the term “Renal Cardiopathy”. Further meetings, such as Strasburg, Giessen and especially Assisi Cardionephrology meeting, have emphasized this relationship, after 25 years of experience largely thanks to Professor Timio. On the other hand, the Advanced Dialysis Quality Initiative, led by Prof. Claudio Ronco from Vicenza (Italy), has contributed greatly to the definition and classification of the “Cardio-Renal Syndromes”.