Mark Sarnak

Interests

Clinical

Dr. Sarnak’s clinical specialties are in cardiovascular disease in patients with kidney disease, management of chronic kidney disease, dialysis, kidney transplantation and kidney stones.

Research

Dr. Sarnak’s research focuses on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and progression of kidney disease, aging and kidney disease, and cognitive function and chronic kidney disease. He collaborates with division members as well with researchers around the US in multi-center observational studies and clinical trials. Dr. Sarnak is funded by the National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institutes of Aging to perform these research projects.

Honors + Awards

• 2018, "Top Doctor," Boston Magazine
• 2017, "Top Doctor," Boston Magazine
• 2015, "Top Doctor," Boston Magazine
• 2014, National Kidney Foundation Shaul G. Massry Distinguished Lecture Award
• 2000-2001, 2009-2010, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, Citation for Excellent Teaching of Third Year Medical Students
• 2010-2014, Boston Magazine Best Doctors
• 2007-2008, Teaching Award Tufts Medical Center Residents
• 2005 and 2007, Oliver Smith Award for Patient Care
• 2005, Annals of Internal Medicine, top 10% of reviewers

Publications + National Presentations

1. Sarnak MJ, Schoolwerth AC, Coresh J, Culleton B, Hamm HL, McCullough PA, Kasiske BL, Kelepouris E, Klag MJ, Parfrey P, Pfeffer M, Raij L, Spinosa DJ, Wilson PW, Levey AS. Kidney disease as a risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease. A Statement from the Councils on Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease, High Blood Pressure Research, Clinical Cardiology and Epidemiology and Prevention. Circulation 2003; 108: 2154-2169

2. Mark J. Sarnak, Tom Greene, Xuelei Wang, Gerald Beck, John W. Kusek, Allan J. Collins, Andrew S. Levey. The Effect of a Lower Blood Pressure Goal on the Progression of Kidney Disease: Long-Term Follow-Up of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study. Ann Intern Med 2005; 142:342-351

3. Mark J. Sarnak, Ronit Katz, Catherine O. Stehman-Breen, Linda F. Fried, Nancy Swords Jenny, Bruce M Psaty, Anne B. Newman, David Siscovick, Michael G. Shlipak and the Cardiovascular Health Study. Cystatin-C as a Risk Factor for Heart Failure in Older Adults. Ann Intern Med 2005; 142:497-505

4. Michael G. Shlipak, Mark J. Sarnak, Ronit Katz, Linda F. Fried, Stephen L. Seliger, Anne B. Newman, David S. Siscovick, and Catherine Stehman-Breen. Cystatin-C and risk of death and cardiovascular disease in the elderly. New England Journal of Medicine 2005; 352:2049-2060

5. Vandana Menon, Michael G. Shlipak, Xuelei Wang, Josef Coresh, Tom Greene, Lesley Stevens, John W. Kusek, Gerald J. Beck, Allan J. Collins, Andrew S. Levey, Mark J. Sarnak. Cystatin C as a Risk Factor for Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease. Annals of Internal Medicine 2007; 47:19-27

6. Mark J. Sarnak, Ronit Katz, Linda F. Fried, David Siscovick, Brian Kestenbaum, Stephen Seliger, Dena Rifkin, Russell Tracy, Anne B. Newman, and Michael G. Shlipak, MD MPH for the Cardiovascular Health Study. Cystatin C and Aging Success. Archives of Internal Medicine 2008;168(2):147-153

7. Dena E. Rifkin, Michael G. Shlipak, Ronit Katz, Linda F. Fried, David Siscovick, Michel Chonchol, Anne B. Newman and Mark J Sarnak. Rapid Kidney Function Decline and Mortality Risk in Older Adults. Arch Int Med 2008:168(20):2212-8

8. Michael Shlipak, Ronit Katz, Bryan Kestenbaum, David Siscovick, Linda Fried, Anne Newman, Dena Rifkin, Mark J. Sarnak, Rapid Decline of kidney function increases Cardiovascular Risk in the Elderly. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2009 Dec;20(12):2625-30.

9. Tangri N, Inker LA, Tighiouart H, Sorensen E, Menon V, Beck G, Shlipak M, Coresh J, Levey AS, Sarnak M. Filtration markers may have prognostic value independent of glomerular filtration rate. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012 Feb;23(2):351-9. Epub 2011 Dec 15.

10. Mark Sarnak, Hocine Tighiouart, Tammy Scott, Kristina Lou, Eric Sorensen, Lena Giang, David Drew, Kamran Shaffi, James Strom, Ajay Singh, and Daniel Weiner. Frequency of and Risk Factors for Poor Cognitive Performance in Hemodialysis Patients. Neurology. 2013 Jan 29;80(5):471-80.

11. Michael G. Shlipak, MD, MPH, Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD, Johan Ärnlöv, MD, PhD, Lesley A. Inker, MD, MS, Ronit Katz, DPhil, Kevan Polkinghorne, FRACP, MClinEpi, PhD, Dietrich Rothenbacher, MD, MPH, Mark J. Sarnak, MD, MS, Brad C. Astor, PhD, MPH, Josef Coresh, MD, PhD, Andrew S. Levey, MD, Ron T. Gansevoort, MD, PhD for the CKD Prognosis Consortium*. Cystatin C versus Creatinine for Determining Risk based on Kidney Function. New England Journal of Medicine. 2013 Sep 5;369(10):932-43.

12. Brown JR, Katz R, Ix JH, de Boer IH, Siscovick DS, Grams ME, Shlipak M, Sarnak MJ. Fibroblast growth factor-23 and the long-term risk of hospital-associated AKI among community-dwelling older individuals. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014 Feb;9(2):239-46

13. Sarnak MJ, Katz R, Newman A, Harris T, Peralta CA, Devarajan P, Bennett MR, Fried L, Ix JH, Satterfield S, Simonsick EM, Parikh CR, Shlipak MG; Health ABC Study. Association of urinary injury biomarkers with mortality and cardiovascular events. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014 Jul;25(7):1545-53.

14. Pranav S. Garimella, Joachim H. Ix, Ronit Katz, Michel B. Chonchol, Bryan R. Kestenbaum, Ian H. de Boer, David S. Siscovick, Shani Shastri, Jade S. Hiramoto, Michael G. Shlipak, Mark J. Sarnak. Fibroblast Growth Factor 23, the Ankle-Brachial Index, and Incident Peripheral Artery Disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Atherosclerosis 2014 Mar;233(1):91-6.

15. Li Fan, Hocine Tighiouart, Andrew S. Levey, Gerald J. Beck and Mark J. Sarnak. Urinary Sodium Excretion and Kidney Failure in Non-Diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease, Kidney Int Sep;86(3):582-8.

Professional Memberships

• Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) Renal Work Group
• Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Renal Working Group
• Steering Committee Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium