title: Vascular calcification in Mexican hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular calcification (VC) is a predictor of poor survival and cardiovascular outcome in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients; however, there is scarce information of VC in Latin America, and virtually no data in our setting. We undertook this study to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of VC in a hemodialysis (HD) population from western Mexico and to determine possible associated factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study performed in 52 patients. VC was evaluated using plain X-ray films (Adragao's score) of hands and pelvis; clinical and biochemical variables were also collected. Statistical analysis was carried out with Student t and χ(2) tests performed as appropriate and logistic regression to determine predictors of VC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 43 years, 48% were female, 23% had diabetes mellitus (DM), and median time on dialysis was 46 months. Percentage prevalence was 52% with a mean calcification score of 2.0 ± 2.6; 23% of patients had severe calcification. VC was present in about 23-37% among the different vascular territories evaluated (radial, digital, femoral and iliac). Patients with calcification were significantly older, had a higher frequency of DM, higher alkaline phosphatase and lower HDL lipoproteins than those without VC. In the multivariate analysis, VC in these patients was significantly predicted only by an older age (OR [95% CI]: 1.15 [1.01-1.31], p = 0.04); lower HDL-cholesterol and higher alkaline phosphatase were marginal predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Half of our HD patients had VC. Territories of radial, iliac, femoral and digital arteries were roughly equally affected, and 25% of patients had a calcification considered as severe. Older age was the only significant predicting variable for VC, with low HDL-cholesterol and high alkaline phosphatase as marginal predictors.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Unit in Renal Diseases, Specialty Hospital, CMNO, IMSS, Guadalajara, Mexico.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rojas-Campos
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herrera-Llamas
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Montañez-Fernández
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez-Martínez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrade-Sierra
authors.forename: Angel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Avila-Baray
authors.forename: Alfonso M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cueto-Manzano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Diabetes; Hemodialysis; Vascular calcification