title: Pulmonary hypertension and leading factors in patients undergoing dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency and leading factors of pulmonary hypertension among chronic hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hemodialysis Unit, Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, from September 2011 to March 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients of either gender aged between 16 to 60 years of age undergoing hemodialysis for at least 3 months not having pre-existing valvular heart disease, chronic lung disease or connective tissue disorder were included. Pulmonary hypertension was prospectively estimated by Doppler echocardiogram on patients undergoing dialysis. Pulmonary artery pressure was calculated on the post-dialysis day and leading factors were compared between patients with and without pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 178 patients were included in study with male to female ratio120/58 (2.06:1). The mean age was 33.84 ± 11.9 years. The mean duration of hemodialysis was 23.85 ± 22.48 months. Pulmonary hypertension was found in 76 (42.7%) patients. Out of the studied factors, low serum albumin (< 3.4 mg/dl, p = 0.01) was found to be statistically significant in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulmonary hypertension was frequently present in dialysis population (42.7%). This subset of patients had significantly lower albumin levels in serum. More research is needed in its pathogenesis to arrest its course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi.
authors.lastname: Shoukat
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi.
authors.forename: Iqbal Ur
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi.
authors.lastname: Sumera
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muhammad Khalid
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Idrees
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi.
authors.lastname: Tanweer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin