title: Probing dry-weight improves left ventricular mass index.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although probing dry-weight improves blood pressure control, its effect on echocardiographic left ventricular mass index (LVMI) is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Shortly following dialysis, 292 echocardiograms in 150 patients participating in the DRIP trial were obtained at baseline and longitudinally every 4 weeks on 2 occasions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, LVMI was 136.3 g/m(2) in the control group and 138.7 g/m(2) in the ultrafiltration group (p > 0.2 for difference). The change from baseline in LVMI in the control group was +3.5 g/m(2) at 4 weeks and +0.3 g/m(2) at 8 weeks (p > 0.2 for both changes). The change from baseline in LVMI in the ultrafiltration group was -7.4 g/m(2) at 4 weeks (p = 0.005) and -6.3 g/m(2) at 8 weeks (p = 0.045). With ultrafiltration, the change in LVMI diameter was -10.9 g/m(2) more compared to the control group at 4 weeks (p = 0.012) and -6.6 g/m(2) more compared to the control group at 8 weeks (p = 0.21). The reduction in interdialytic ambulatory blood pressure was also greater in response to probing dry-weight in those in the top half of LVMI at baseline (p = 0.02 for interaction effect at week 8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LVMI, an important determinant of prognosis among long-term dialysis patients, is responsive to probing dry-weight.
authors: Division of Nephrology, Indianapolis, IN, USA. ragarwal@iupui.edu
authors: Rajiv
authors: R
authors: Agarwal
authors: J Michael
authors: JM
authors: Bouldin
authors: Robert P
authors: RP
authors: Light
authors: Ashok
authors: A
authors: Garg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis