Abstract
A quantitative analysis of atherosclerosis was made by measuring the aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 346 chronic hemodialysed patients (male 208, female 106). In addition, the findings of ocular fundus and the degree of roentogenologically observed aortic calcification were assessed to estimate the usefulness of this method. There were fairly good correlation between PWV and findings of ocular fundus, and between the f ormer and the degree of aortic calcification. There was an excellent correlation between PWV and the age of patients, whereas there was no correlation' between PWV and the duration of hemodialysis, From these results, the measurement of PWV was considered to be useful to estimate the degree of atherosclerosis and quantitatively. Furthermore, we supposed that atherosclerosis was not accelerated by the hem dialysis alone. Twenty cases of the 346 (5.8%) died during observation . And 11 deaths out of the 20 (55%) were due to cardio-vascular accidens (mean duration of hemodialysis : 56.9±19.7 months, PWV: 12.0±2.8 m/sec) and 9 (45%) due to other causesr (mean duration of hemodialysis 58.6±20.4 months, PWV: 8.0±2.1 m/sec). There was-a, a significant difference in PWV between the two groups (p<0 .005). From these results, f it was supposed possible to estimate the prognosis of hemodialysed patients by this methods. In conclusion, PWV measurement was considered to be a useful and noninvasive method not only to evaluate but also to follow the degree of atherosclerosis.
