Blood pressure variability among chronic dialysis patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on recent evidence linking blood pressure variability (BPV) to adverse clinical outcomes in the chronic hemodialysis patient population. RECENT FINDINGS: BPV is an increasingly recognized poor prognostic factor in the general population. A growing body of evidence suggests that both short-term and long-term BPV are associated with adverse events among chronic dialysis patients. Over the last 18 months, several studies have linked long-term BPV (considered dialysis treatment to dialysis treatment) to all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Similar results have been demonstrated for short-term (considered as intradialytic) BPV and clinical outcomes. Further studies substantiating these findings and examining potential BPV mitigation strategies are needed. Additionally, a BPV metric that is easily calculated and tracked in the clinical setting is necessary before BPV can become a routine component of clinical monitoring. SUMMARY: Recent observational data demonstrate an association between short-term and long-term BPV and adverse outcomes among chronic hemodialysis patients. Further research is needed to identify strategies that mitigate this risk and to translate these findings into clinical practice.