title: Assessment of arterial stiffness in patients with CKD stage 5 when initiating chronic hemodialysis for vascular access and for preventing cardiovascular events.
abstract: We consider that re-assessment of the vascular status is necessary, even mandatory, in patients with CKD when initiating dialysis because of two reasons:--assessment of vascular remodelling is important for establishing the artery-venous fistula as it can supply appreciative data on its success and duration;--vascular remodelling plays an important part in cardio-vascular pathology of patients dialysed, with the required consecutive prophylactic measures. In chronic kidney disease, calcium deposits at extra-skeletal level also affect the vessels, determining calcifications of both the vascular intima and media. Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are present in patients with CKD and they contribute to diminishing the elasticity of the artery wall by vascular remodelling. Vascular remodelling determines thickening of the artery wall, respectively of the thickness of the arterial intima-media. Thus, arteries lose their elasticity, and the wall of the arterial tree wall turns stiff. Arterial stiffness is a process that precedes the development-proper of atherosclerosis, determined by cumulative exposure to various risk factors. Atherosclerosis is a focal process, in which indemne areas alternate with areas with atheroma plaques at intima level, and arteriosclerosis is a diffuse process located at the level of the arterial media. Non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness can be achieved by analyzing pulse wave velocity and the augmentation index. We studied a group of 35 patients with chronic kidney insufficiency, CKD, stage 5, with an average age of 52.03 +/- 17.36 years, of whom 15 (43%) were females and 20 (57%) were males. The investigated parameters presented the following average values: PWV = 16.7 +/- 1.27 m/s; IMT = 1.63 +/- 0.18 mm; Aix = 36.14 +/- 9.98%; AAI = 0.78 +/- 0.2. The assessment of vascular stiffness in chronically dialysed patients offers better appreciation of vascular stiffness. Knowing the amplitude of the vascular remodelling process is of special importance for deciding the place and modality of performing the vascular access with regard to replacing the kidney function and to preventing cardiovascular events in dialysed patients.
authors: Dialysis and Transplant Center, Timişoara, Romania.
authors: Ancuţa
authors: A
authors: Mateş
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Golea
authors: Mariana
authors: M
authors: Tudoran
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Tudoran
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Pescariu
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Velciov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness