title: Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness and Influencing Factors in Hemodialysis Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the increase in carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and influencing factors in hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  90 hemodialysis patients were divided into groups according to their dialysis duration; 30 healthy subjects were included as controls. High-frequency Doppler ultrasound was used to calculate the carotid artery IMT in, 12-, 36-, and 60-month groups; biochemical parameters were also measured. Data from different groups were compared and the associations between the risk factors and IMT were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased IMT was found in the patients in all groups compared with controls (p < 0.05). IMT was also significantly higher in the 36-month group than in the 12-month group (p < 0.01), while no significant difference in the IMT was found between the 60-month group and the 36-month group. A positive association was found between the carotid artery IMT and systolic pressure (SBP, r = 0.39, p < 0.01), mean arterial pressure (r = 0.291, p < 0.01), C-reactive protein (CRP, r = 0.511, p < 0.01), serum phosphate (r = 0.518, p < 0.01), and calcium-phosphorus product (r = 0.170, p < 0.01); a negative association was found between carotid artery IMT and plasma albumin (r = -0.095, p < 0.01) and prealbumin (r = -0.65, p < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression showed that high SBP (t = 2.004, p < 0.01), high serum phosphate (t = 2.531, p < 0.01), and increased CRP (t = 4.737, p < 0.01) were independent risk factors for IMT increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hemodialysis increased carotid artery IMT associated with dialysis duration; high SBP, high serum phosphate, and increased CRP are independent risk factors for IMT increase, and IMT was also associated with the development of atherosclerosis.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D002097:C-Reactive Protein