title: Changes in carotid intima-media thickness over two years in patients on haemodialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the progression of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and to search for possible associations between these changes and other risk factors of atherosclerosis for 2 years in stable patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on haemodialysis (HD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Study population consisted of 22 patients with newly diagnosed CRF. All patients underwent B-mode ultrasonography of common carotid artery for estimating CIMT and the presence of plaques before and after the first HD session (mean 24.22 +/- 2.14 months). The differences in CIMT before and after long-term HD treatment were compared. Acute phase proteins, calcium-phosphate balance and lipid profile were assessed and anthropometric parameters were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 55 +/- 13 years and 10 (45%) of the patients were female. After long-term HD treatment, (mean 24.22 +/- 2.14 months) the mean value for CIMT (0.57 +/- 0.08 mm) was significantly lower than that at baseline (0.68 +/- 0.12 mm) (p = 0.02). Only male gender and smoking were correlated with baseline CIMT. After long-term HD treatment, age, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride were related with CIMT. Diabetes and smoking were correlated with CIMT. Presence of plaque before HD only correlated with creatinine level and after long-term HD treatment only correlated with total cholesterol level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that CIMT was significantly decreased 2 years after starting HD. An association between CIMT and other atherosclerotic risk factors (such as age, cholesterol, triglyceride etc.) could not be determined due to a small sample size.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Turkey. mduran2@gmail.com
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Duran
authors: Aydin
authors: A
authors: Unal
authors: Mehmet Tugrul
authors: MT
authors: Inanc
authors: Mehmet Gungor
authors: MG
authors: Kaya
authors: Nihat
authors: N
authors: Kalay
authors: Ayse
authors: A
authors: Ocak
authors: Onur Kadir
authors: OK
authors: Uysal
authors: Abdurrahman
authors: A
authors: Oguzhan
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors