Association between age and cardiovascular status by echosonography in asymptomatic predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease.

Age is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the general population and in dialysis patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of age on the cardiovascular status of asymptomatic predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Echocardiography and carotid ultrasound were performed in 61 patients with CKD stages 4-5, who were divided by age into two groups: group 1 (≥65 years, n = 31) and group 2 (<65 years, n = 30).

Anemia is independently associated with NT-proBNP levels in asymptomatic predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Although anemia and renal dysfunction are related to increased natriuretic peptides levels in heart failure patients, less is known about this relationship in asymptomatic predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to investigate relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) levels and echocardiographic findings in these patients.

Methods: The study included 61 patients with CKD stage IV-V (34 male, mean age 62.

Epidemiology of end-stage renal disease and hemodialysis treatment in Serbia at the turn of the millennium.

The study presents the epidemiological features of patients treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Serbia from 1997 to 2009 and compares the results of hemodialysis treatment in 1999 and 2009. Epidemiological data were obtained from the National Registry of RRT patients and data on hemodialysis treatment from special surveys conducted in 1999 and 2009. Within the period 1997-2009 the incidence of patients on RRT increased from 108 to 179 per million population (pmp), prevalence rose from 435 to 699 pmp, while mortality rate fell from 20.

Efficacy of hyperphosphatemia control in the progression of chronic renal failure and the prevalence of cardiovascular calcification.

Background And Aims: Chronic kidney disease mineral- and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) has been studied more often in dialysis than in predialysis CKD patients. The association between efficacy of hyperphosphatemia control and chronic renal failure (CRF) progression, prevalence of bone disease and cardiovascular calcification was the objective of the present investigation.

Material And Methods: 42 patients with CKD in Stage 5, regularly monitored for 5 years, were divided into Group 1 of 20 patients with normal serum phosphate (sPO4) levels and Group 2 of 22 patients with hyperphosphatemia registered at the majority of checks.

[Inflammation and nutritional status in haemodialysis patients].

Introduction: Protein-calorie malnutrition is highly prevalent in patients with end-stage renal disease and hypoalbuminemia is considered the best clinical marker of malnutrition and mortality in this population. Recently, it has been recognized that inflammation may be also as important as protein intake in causing hypoalbuminemia. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between nutritional status, serum albumin concentration and C-reactive protein in patients on regular hemodialysis.

[Hyperkalemia in hypertensive patients undergoing regular hemodialysis during enalapril and fosinopril therapy].

Introduction: Hypertension is evident in 80%-85% of patients with chronic renal failure and antihypertensive therapy is needed in 25%-30% of patients. Apart from antihypertensive effect, ACEi's decrease the left ventricular hypertrophy and mortality in dialysis patients. Even so, their use is limited due to hyperkalemia.

C-reactive protein as an independent risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients.

C-reactive protein is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but the association of CRP with the early phase of atherosclerosis has been insufficiently investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between CRP and indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients. Intima-media thickness, lumen-diameter and cross-sectional intima-media area (CSIM area) of the common carotid artery were established using B-mode ultrasound imaging in 43 HD patients and 21 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.