title: [Assessment of arterial damage by noninvasive peripheral arterial tonometry in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hemodialysis patients (HD) display high rates of cardiac disease and mortality. The cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of HD patients is attributable in a significant proportion to endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, and vascular calcifications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure vascular reactivity in HD subjects and compare them with healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty eight non diabetic patients aged 58 ± 4.6 years (29 males) on hemodialysis for a mean lapse of 4.8 years were studied. Arterial stiffness was measured in the radial artery. Pulse wave velocity was measured by noninvasive peripheral arterial tonometry in carotid and femoral arteries. Endothelial function was assessed, measuring reactive hyperemia response after a 5 min period of ischemia. As a control, all values were also measured in age and gender-matched healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arterial stiffness was significantly higher in HD patients than controls (23.9 ± 3.3 and 18.4 ± 3.4% respectively, p < 0.05). HD subjects had an increased pulse wave velocity (10.0 ± 0.8 and 7.6 ± 0.9 m/s respectively, p < 0.05). A reduction in the change in pulse amplitude pressure, as a measure of arterial dysfunction, was only observed in male patients (1.7 ± 0.4 and 2.7 ± 0.4 respectively p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Noninvasive assessment of peripheral vascular function may be useful for the identification of patients at risk for late cardiac events.
authors: Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile. fespinoz@mi.cl
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Espinoza
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Kunstmann
authors: Alvaro
authors: A
authors: Urzúa
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Michea
authors: Elisa T
authors: ET
authors: Marusic
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Vukusich
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*