Hemodialysis (HD) may induce vascular stiffness through several mechanisms. We sought to determine the role of dialysis vintage (DV) on the development of cardiovascular alterations. We studied 14 patients in chronic HD and 24 newly diagnosed never treated hypertensive patients and 16 normotensive controls.
The patients in HD were divided in two groups according to DV: <60-months (DV<60,n=7) or >60-months (DV>60,n=7). After HD session, when dry weight was reached, we evaluated peripheral blood pressure (pBP), the parameters derived by tonometric analysis of the pulse waveform (central blood pressure-cBP-, Subendocardial Viability Ratio-SEVR-, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity-cf-PWV-) and those derived from echocardiography: ejection fraction (EF-for systolic function) and E/e’ (for diastolic function), and the ultrafiltration volume (UV). Calcium/phosphate (Ca/P) levels, serum albumin, and Kt/V were evaluated retrospectively on repeated measurements over the past 5 years.
All the groups were similar for sex and BMI, both DV<60 and DV>60 were older than hypertensives and controls (58.33±3.71 and 59.83±7.98 vs 44.14±1.28 and vs 40.63±2.05 years, respectively, P<0.05). Both DV<60 and DV>60 presented similar levels of Ca/P, serum albumin, Kt/V and UV. pBP was increased and similar to hypertensives in DV>60 vs DV<60 (systolic-pBP: 154.2±4.5 vs 132.5±5.18 mmHg, P<0.01 and diastolic-pBP: 90.4±49 vs 78.5±3.3 mmHg, P<0.01). Likewise cBP was increased and similar to hypertensive patients in DV>60 vs DV<60 (systolic-cBP: 140.8±8.4 vs 111.2±3.36 mmHg, P<0.001 and diastolic-cBP: 88.2±3.73 vs 72.33±7.78 mmHg, respectively, P<0.05). cf-PWV was similar in normotensives, hypertensives and DV<60, and increased only in DV>60 vs DV<60 (9.6±1.4 vs 7.13±1.4 m/s, p<0.05). SEVR and EF were preserved and similar in all the groups. E/e’ was significantly increased only in the groups in HD, however it was higher in DV>60 vs DV<60 (9.16±1.14 vs 6.96±0.72, P<0.01).
In conclusion, only patients with DV>60 presented increased aortic stiffness. This was associated to higher BP and diastolic dysfunction. Hence, chronic HD, particularly after 60 months, may play a putative role in developing cardiovascular alterations in patients with end-stage renal disease.
Outcomes on safety and efficacy of left atrial appendage occlusion in end stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis
