Blood Pressure Measurements and Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Hemodialysis Patients

In hemodialysis (HD) patients, routine dialysis center blood pressure (BP) measurements may be a poor indicator of BP control. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) improves the predictability of BP as a risk factor for target organ damage. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is an important indicator of asymptomatic atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular events. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the possible association between different BP measurements and carotid IMT in HD patients. Eighty-five HD patients were included in our study. BP was measured with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer before and after each HD session. The average one-monthly values of routine BP measurements were also analyzed. 24- and 48-h ABPM was performed after the end of each HD session using non-invasive ABPM. The average values of systolic and diastolic BP were analyzed separately for the first (HD) and second (interdialytic) days ABPM, and for both days together. Using B-mode ultrasonography, carotid IMT was measured and plaque occurrence investigated. We found a statistically significant correlation between carotid IMT and the average one-monthly pre-HD diastolic BP (P < 0.05), diastolic BP on the HD-day ABPM, the interdialytic-day ABPM, and during 48-h ABPM (P < 0.05). By multiple regression analysis, we found a statistically significant correlation only between carotid IMT and diastolic BP on the HD-day ABPM, the interdialytic-day ABPM, and during 48-h ABPM (P < 0.05). Only longer BP measurements (24- and 48-h ABPM) were associated with carotid IMT in HD patients.