title: Carotid hemodynamic parameters in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerotic vascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Early atherosclerotic changes of the arterial wall can be evaluated by intima-media thickness (IMT), presence and structure of plaques and parameters of vascular resistance. The aim of the present study has been to investigate the relationship between carotid IMT and pulsatility index (PI) or resistive index (RI) values in hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 36 hemodialysis patients (21 female, 15 male; median age 39.5 years, IQR 33.0-54.7 years) and 38 healthy volunteers (20 women, 18 men; median age 41.0 years IQR 32.5-53.5 years). All subjects underwent ultrasonography of common carotid artery, with determination of IMT, PI and RI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bilateral and mean carotid IMT were found to be significantly higher in hemodialysis patients than in the control group (P<0.0001). Right and left carotid artery RI values were determined to be lower in hemodialysis patients than in the control group (P=0.007 for both). Similarly, right and left carotid PI values were also determined significantly lower in the hemodialysis group (P=0.005 and P=0.004, respectively). There was a moderate negative correlation between the right carotid IMT and right PI (r=-0.258, P=0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to previous studies in patients with diabetes, hypertension or cerebrovascular disease, PI and RI values decrease when IMT increases in hemodialysis patients. This finding may be a result of peripheral vasodilatation secondary to anemia in hemodialysis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karaman
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colbay
authors.forename: Seref
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuksel
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uslan
authors.forename: Gursel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acarturk
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saglam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance