Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease

Background. The introduction of hemodialysis has represented a major breakthrough in the management of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly prolonging survival and improving the quality of life of pa­tients with end-stage kidney disease. Materials and Methods. The study included 106 patients with stage 5D chronic kidney disease receiving mainte­nance hemodialysis and 20 healthy volunteers without evidence of neurological or cardiovascular disorders. All par­ticipants underwent comprehensive clinical and instrumental evaluation. Results. All patients enrolled in the study underwent serial transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) examinations during the hemodialysis session. Echocardiographic assessments were performed immediately before dialysis, one hour after the initiation of hemodialysis, and immediately after completion of the dialysis session to evaluate intradi­alytic changes in cardiac structure and hemodynamic parameters. Conclusion. The greatest intradialytic reduction in volume occurred within the first hour of hemodialysis, fol­lowed by a progressive decline throughout the remainder of the dialysis session, reaching its lowest values at the end of treatment. These findings indicate that volume changes during hemodialysis are progressive in nature and reflect the substantial impact of ultrafiltration on the hemodynamic status of patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease receiving maintenance hemodialysis.