Blood pressure and sympathetic nerve tone relation during hemodialysis may reflect cardiovascular dysfunction.

Background: The blood pressure response to the rapid removal of fluid during hemodialysis is complex and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying intradialytic hypotension are not clear and sometimes these mechanisms render dialysis difficult to continue.

Purpose: We analyzed the changes in blood pressure and sympathetic nerve tone and attempted to clarify whether the dynamic pattern of this relationship reflects cardiovascular dysfunction.

Methods: The dynamic pattern of sympathetic nerve activity throughout dialysis was analyzed by frequency analysis of RR intervals recorded by 24 hours Holter electrocardiography in 64 patients and 3 minutes ECG every 15 minutes during dialysis in 121 stable end-stage renal failure patients who underwent maintenance hemodialysis.