Serum lipids and lipoproteins during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

The effects of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) on serum lipids and lipoproteins over the initial year of therapy were studied in 23 uremic patients. Lipoprotein abnormalities typical for the uremic dyslipoproteinemia were present at the start of CAPD. During the first months of CAPD these abnormalities were accentuated. The concentrations of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-cholesterol (CHOL), low density lipoprotein (LDL)-CHOL, serum CHOL and serum triglycerides (TG) increased significantly. However, after one year of CAPD only the VLDL-CHOL and serum CHOL levels remained significantly higher than the baseline values. VLDL-TG, VLDL-CHOL and serum TG, and the changes of these variables over the study period, correlated with the amount of glucose in the dialysates. We conclude that the continuous peritoneal absorption of glucose (100-200 g/24 h) during CAPD contributes to potentially atherogenic changes in serum lipids and lipoproteins. However, some of the changes are transitory, indicating an adaptation to the peritoneal glucose load.