Physiol. Res. 54: 497-504, 2005
 


Intima Media Thickness of Common Carotid Arteries is Associated with Traditional Risk Factors and Presence of Ischemic Heart Disease in Hemodialysis Patients

S. BRZOSKO, U. LEBKOWSKA1, J. MALYSZKO, T. HRYSZKO, K. KRAUZE-BRZOSKO,
M. MYSLIWIEC


Department of Nephrology and Transplantology and 1Department of Radiology, Bialystok Medical Academy, Bialystok, Poland

Received July 29, 2004
Accepted November 11, 2004
On-line available January 10, 2005


Summary
Patients with chronic renal failure are prone to cardiovascular complications. The mechanisms and the assessment of the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in this population are of interest. The purpose of this study was to investigate the traditional and potential risk factors for the development of CVD and their contribution to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and variation in carotid intima media thickness (IMT) in hemodialyzed patients (HD). Twenty-one chronically HD patients and nineteen healthy volunteers were recruited. Studied parameters were intima-media thickness, body mass index (BMI), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), hemoglobin, fibrinogen (Fbg), serum lipids, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], total homocysteine (tHcy). Mean carotid IMT, tHcy, Fbg and Lp(a) were higher in HD patients compared to the control group. There were no differences in cholesterol (tCh) and triglycerides between these groups. Patients with ischemic heart disease were older and they had higher values of carotid IMT, tCh, triglycerides, Fbg and Lp(a). There were no differences in MAP, time on dialysis and tHcy between the two subgroups (with vs without IHD). Carotid IMT correlated positively with age (r=0.68, p=0.001), BMI (r=0.50, p=0.02), tCh (r=0.58, p<0.01), LDL- cholesterol (r=0.55, p=0.01) and Fbg (r=0.57, p<0.01) but not with tHcy or Lp(a) in the patients group. Carotid intima media thickness thus reflects the risk for ischemic heart disease in hemodialyzed patients. Elevated fibrinogen concentration and dyslipidemia influence arterial remodelling.


Key words
Intima-media thickness • Cardiovascular risk factors • Hemodialysis • Renal failure


© 2005 by the Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences