Echocardiographic parameters are independently associated with increased cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Echocardiographic measures of heart structure and function have been reported to predict adverse CV outcomes in various pathologic conditions. The aim of this study is to assess whether echocardiographic parameters are independently associated with increased CV events in patients with CKD Stages 3-5.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled 505 CKD patients from our outpatient department of internal medicine. CV events were defined as CV death, hospitalization for unstable angina, non-fatal myocardial infarction, sustained ventricular arrhythmia, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, transient ischemia attack and stroke. The relative CV events' risk was analyzed by Cox regression methods.

Results: In the multivariate analysis, old age, the presence of diabetes, coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation; decreased serum albumin and hematocrit levels; left atrial diameter (LAD) >4.7 cm [hazard ratio (HR), 2.141; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.155-3.971, P = 0.016]; increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI) (HR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.002 to 1.010, P = 0.003) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <55% (HR, 2.007; 95% CI, 1.007-3.743, P = 0.028) were independently associated with increased CV events.

Conclusions: Our findings show that LAD >4.7 cm, increased LVMI and LVEF <55% are independently associated with adverse CV outcomes in CKD patients. Screening CKD patients by means of echocardiography may help identify a high-risk group of poor CV prognosis.