title: Comparative effects of renal transplantation and maintenance dialysis on arterial stiffness and left ventricular mass index.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial stiffness and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are major independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease in healthy and renal population. In this study, we aimed to investigate comparative long-term effects of renal transplantation (RTx) and of hemodialysis (HD) on both arterial stiffness and LVH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight RTx patients, 23 HD patients, and 20 healthy subjects were included in this prospective study. In addition to demographical and laboratory parameters, arterial stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV)] and left ventricular mass index (LVMi) were assessed before and one-yr after RTx, and at the baseline and one-yr later in HD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in the parameters between HD and RTx patients at baseline. PWV was significantly higher than that of healthy controls. After one yr, PWV had significantly decreased in RTx patients, but was unchanged in HD patients. Changes in PWV were significant when both groups were compared (p < 0.0001). Although LVMi significantly decreased after RTx (p = 0.02), changes were not significant between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Renal transplantation markedly improved arterial stiffness, while it remained elevated in HD patients at the one-yr follow-up. There was no difference between maintenance HD and RTx groups with respect to impact on LVMi in the one-yr follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ibni Sina Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. keven@medicine.ankara.edu.tr
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keven
authors.forename: Reyhan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calayoglu
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengul
authors.forename: Irem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dincer
authors.forename: Sim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kutlay
authors.forename: Sehsuvar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erturk
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erbay
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nergizoglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors