Introduction Vascular patrimony is a major concern in patients with end-stage renal disease. As patients on chronic hemodialysis programs experience increasing survival rates, they frequently face multiple vascular access failures and may need recurrent central venous catheter insertions and fistula/grafts re-interventions to optimize their arteriovenous accesses. In addition, heart failure and heart rhythm disorders are frequent comorbidities in this population, and pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation are frequently indicated. The estimated prevalence of Cardiovascular Electronic Implantable Devices (CIED) […]

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is frequently present in patients with aortic valve disease. Decreased kidney perfusion as a consequence of reduced cardiac output may contribute to renal dysfunction in this setting. Objective: Given the potential reversibility of kidney hypoperfusion after valve repair, this study aimed to analyze the impact of percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on kidney function. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 233 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI in a single center between November 2008 […]

Chronic hyperglycemia is the key point of macro- and microvascular complications associated with diabetes mellitus. Excess glucose is responsible for inducing redox imbalance and both systemic and intrarenal inflammation, playing a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease, which is currently the leading cause of dialysis in the world. The pathogenesis of the disease is complex, multifactorial and not fully elucidated; many factors and mechanisms are involved in the development, progression and clinical outcomes of the disease. Despite […]

Editor, We read the publication on “QTc and QTcd Measurements and Their Relationships with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Hemodialysis Patients”, which is very interesting. Alonso et al. concluded that “We found that QTc interval, in contrast to QTcd, is a reproducible and reliable measure and had a weak but positive correlation with LVMi in HD patients.” This report used an unmatched control group; hence, the selection bias can be expected. In fact, the hypertrophy might be expected in a hemodialysis […]

Abstract Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is very common in hemodialysis patients and an independent risk factor for mortality in this population. The myocardial remodeling underlying the LVH can affect ventricular repolarization causing abnormalities in QT interval. Objective: to evaluate the reproducibility and reliability of measurements of corrected QT interval (QTc) and its dispersion (QTcd) and correlate these parameters with LVH in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Case-control study involving hemodialysis patients and a control group. Clinical examination, blood sampling, transthoracic echocardiogram, […]

Abstract Background: Abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI) has been found to be a strong predictor of mortality in some hemodialysis populations in studies with relatively short periods of follow-up, lower than 2 years. Objective: This study aimed to assess the predictive value of abnormal ABI as a risk factor for death among patients on maintenance hemodialysis after a 5-year follow-up. Methods: A total of 478 patients on hemodialysis for at least 12 months were included in the study. ABI measurement was […]