title: Effects of high-flux hemodialysis on plasma adrenomedullin and sustained hypotension in elderly hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sustained hypotension during hemodialysis (HD) is an important clinical issue. Plasma adrenomedullin (AM) is increased in HD patients with sustained hypotension, but little is known about whether removing AM can improve hypotension. The objective of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of hemodialysis using a high-flux dialyzer on removal of increased plasma AM levels and improving low blood pressure in elderly HD patients with sustained hypotension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight elderly patients (age 65 or older) who had undergone maintenance HD for more than one year were recruited and studied. We evaluated plasma levels of AM in sustained hypotension (SH; n = 28) and normotensive (NT; n = 20) patients. The patients with hypotension were further divided into two subgroups and treated with either high-flux dialyzer or low-flux dialyzer for 3 months. Plasma adrenomedullin levels and blood pressure were analyzed at days 0 and 181.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of AM were significantly higher in SH than in NT patients ((24.92 ± 3.7) ng/L vs. (15.52 ± 6.01) ng/L, P < 0.05), and were inversely correlated with mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) at pre-HD. After 3 months, the level of plasma AM in high-flux group was decreased ((24.58 ± 4.36) ng/L vs. (16.18 ± 5.08) ng/L, P < 0.05), but MAP was increased ((67.37 ± 4.31) mmHg vs. (74.79 ± 3.59) mmHg, P < 0.05). There was no obvious change in low-flux group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma AM levels were significantly elevated in elderly HD patients with SH. High-flux dialyzer therapy can decrease plasma AM level and improve hypotension.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhi-fang
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Han-yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yuan-da
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang-mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D053607:Adrenomedullin