title: Peripheral arterial disease is not associated with an increased prevalence of intradialytic cramps in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has been suggested as a contributing factor to the development of intradialytic muscle cramps in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test this hypothesis, 122 patients from two dialysis centers were studied. The presence of PAD was determined by measurement of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in the lower extremities of patients pre- and postdialysis. The experience of intradialytic cramps was assessed using patient history and review of medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PAD defined as a predialysis ABI < or =0.90 had an overall prevalence of 16.4% among patients studied. The prevalence of PAD was age-dependent, reaching 37.5% in patients 80-89 years old. Intradialytic muscle cramps were common, with 52.1% of patients reporting cramps within the previous two months, but there was no relationship between cramps during dialysis and PAD (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAD was common in hemodialysis patients, but there was no association between the presence of PAD and the prevalence of intradialytic muscle cramps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, Calif. 90502, USA. ebrass@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Eric P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Brass
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Kathy E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Sietsema
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esler
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Hiatt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009120:Muscle Cramp / Q000209:etiology*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*