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
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