title: Carotid intima-media thickness and plaques in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: Atherosclerosis is accelerated in hemodialysis patients. Using B-mode ultrasonography, we compared intima-media thickness (IMT) and the prevalence of plaques in the common carotid and internal carotid arteries in 28 randomly selected hemodialysis patients with that in 28 age- and sex-matched normal controls. The IMT values of the common carotid and internal carotid arteries were higher in hemodialysis patients than in controls with more hemodialysis patients having plaques. In hemodialysis patients, there was a relationship between age and IMT in the common carotid arteries, in the area of bifurcation, and in the internal carotid arteries. We found no relationship between IMT and atherosclerotic risk factors or duration of hemodialysis treatment. IMT at all sites correlated with the number of plaques. Age was the only significant determinant for number of plaques. The results indicate that hemodialysis patients showed advanced atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries compared with age- and sex-matched normal subjects.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Ljubljana, Department of Nephrology, Teaching Hospital Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hojs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014280:Triglycerides; D010758:Phosphorus; D002784:Cholesterol; D002118:Calcium