Left and right ventricular diastolic function in hemodialysis patients.

The aim of this prospective study was the assessment of left ventricular and right ventricular diastolic function in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and the correlation of this function with the duration of HD. The study included 42 patients (22 females and 20 males) with chronic renal failure (CRF), treated with HD, and 40 healthy subjects (24 females and 16 males) with no history of cardiovascular disease and with normal renal function, who constituted the control group. The groups were matched for age and sex.

Echocardiographic assessment of left atrial size in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Background: Cardiac disease is the most common cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease. It is assumed that the high rate of cardiovascular mortality is related to accelerated atherosclerosis. Patients with chronic renal insufficiency have an increased prevalence of coronary artery disease, silent myocardial ischaemia, complex ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy, annular mitral and aortic valve calcification, and enlargement of the left atrium, than patients with normal renal function.