Cardiovascular related disease is the main cause of death in patients with kidney disease, and "oxidative stress" is thought to be a major contributor by promoting thickening of the heart muscle and stiffening of the arteries. Allopurinol, a drug used safely in the treatment of gout for many years, has been found to dramatically reduce "oxidative stress". It is therefore hoped that it also reduce the thickened heart muscle and stiffened arteries. If it did, it is likely to reduce the appallingly high cardiac death rate in this group of kidney disease patients.