title: Vascular access localization determines regional changes in arterial stiffness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular access (VA) dysfunction is a common cause of hospitalization in chronically hemodialyzed patients (CHP) limiting the improvement in health and has been largely studied in order to decrease the morbidity events that involves both the artery and the vein used in the construction of the fistula. In parallel, patients in end-stage renal failure show an increase in arterial stiffness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this work were: (a) to evaluate arterial stiffness through pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements in the carotid-brachial pathway where the arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) was constructed, and (b) to determine possible differences in arterial stiffness between the carotid-brachial pathway with and without VA.
  
  
  METHODS
  PWV, clinical and biochemical parameters were measured in 38 CHP. PWV was obtained in the carotid-femoral, and in the left and right carotid-brachial pathway.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carotid-brachial PWV determination in upper limbs with AVF (10.07 +/- ;2.43 m/s) showed significantly lower values than those observed in the contra-lateral arm without VA (11.55 +/- ;2.27 m/s). Curiously, the PWV value observed in arms with an AVF was significantly lower in diabetic than in non-diabetic hemodialyzed patients (NDHP) (8.00 +/- ;2.86 m/s and 10.38 +/- ;2.33 m/s; respectively). Measurements of PWV in the carotid-femoral pathway in CHP showed a mean value of 14.09 +/- ;3.12 m/s. Carotid-femoral PWV in NDHP (14.06 +/- ;2.44 m/s) was significantly lower than that observed in the diabetic patients (16.87 +/- ;3.42 m/s).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carotid-brachial PWV values obtained in the upper limbs, in which VAs were constructed, were significantly lower than that measured in intact arteries in the contra-lateral pathway in CHP.
authors: Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina and National Council of Technical and Scientific Research (CONICET) - 1078 Buenos Aires, Argentina. fischer@favaloro.edu.ar
authors: Edmundo I
authors: EI
authors: Cabrera Fischer
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Bia
authors: Rodolfo
authors: R
authors: Valtuille
authors: Sebastián
authors: S
authors: Graf
authors: Cintia
authors: C
authors: Galli
authors: Ricardo L
authors: RL
authors: Armentano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*