Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the cardiac functions of hemodialysis patients at various times after the beginning of hemodialysis. The subjects of this study were maintenance hemodialysis patients with an enlarged CTR despite an adequate dry weight. They were divided into three groups according to the duration of hemodialysis (group A: no less than 1 year-less than 5 years; group B: 5 years-less than 10 years; group C: 10 years or longer). There were no significant differences in percent body weight change, mean blood pressure or CTR among the three groups. The grade of left ventricular hypertrophy estimated by electrocardiography (V1S+V5R) was larger in group C patients than in group A patients. In terms of cardiac functions, a decreased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) and an increased ejection fraction were apparent in group C patients as compared with those in group A. The occurrence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (intraventricular septum thickness>15mm, LVDd<50mm) gradually increased in proportion to the duration of hemodialysis. The patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy had complications such as mitral and/or aortic regurgitation. Therefore, it is important to follow the cardiac functions of hemodialysis patients with enlarged CTR using echocardiography.
