Fazzini F, et al. - Researchers examined 4812 patients of the German Chronic Kidney Disease study [a prospective national chronic kidney disease (CKD) cohort study] to examine the association of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy numbers with the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The participants were observed over a duration of four years. Findings revealed a significant inverse link between mtDNA copy number and all-cause mortality, on adjusting for kidney function and cardiovascular disease risk factors. In patients with CKD, mitochondrial dysfunction was shown to have a role in the observed increased cardiovascular disease and death risks as well as susceptibility to infections.