title: Determinants of arterial distensibility in patients with renal failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increased stiffness of the arterial system is an adverse risk factor for the outcome in patients with renal disease. Few studies have focused on the determinants of an increased arterial stiffness in patients with renal failure. As the percentage of patients with renal failure secondary to vascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus is rapidly growing, and the underlying disease per se may also influence the arterial wall properties, it may also be of interest to study the arterial wall properties in relation to the etiology of kidney disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The distensibility coefficient (DC) of the common carotid artery was used as a marker of arterial stiffness. One hundred and seventeen patients were studied: 47 patients (aged 63 +/- 10 years) with renal failure secondary to vascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus and 70 patients (aged 57 +/- 13 years) with other diagnoses. The origin of the renal failure was retrieved from the patients' charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, mean arterial pressure, and serum calcium level were each independent predictors of arterial stiffness (DC). The DC was significantly lower in the patients with vascular renal disease or diabetes mellitus [11.0 +/- 5.5 (1/MPa)] as compared with patients with renal/urological diseases [15.4 +/- 7.5 (1/MPa)]. Nevertheless, after correction for potentially confounding variables, the relation between cause of renal disease and DC lost significance in the overall group, but remained significant (p < 0.05) in the younger age groups (</=61 years; median age of the patient group).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age, mean arterial pressure, and serum calcium level were independent predictors of arterial stiffness in our patients with renal failure. Only in younger dialysis patients, the origin of renal failure was an independent predictor of arterial wall stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Nephrology, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Beerenhout
authors.forename: Constantijn J A M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Konings
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dammers
authors.forename: Pieter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Rensma
authors.forename: Arnold P G
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hoeks
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gladziwa
authors.forename: Fred H M
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: Frank M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: van der Sande
authors.forename: Karel M L
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Leunissen
authors.forename: Jeroen P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kooman
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies