Relation between carotid artery atherosclerosis and time on dialysis. A non-invasive study in vivo.

Patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis have a high cardiovascular mortality but there are conflicting reports in the literature regarding the possibility of an accelerated atherosclerotic process in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess, in vivo, the extent of atherosclerotic lesions in the common carotid arteries and in the aorta of patients undergoing hemodialysis and their relation to clinical variables and risk factors. An ultrasonic system was employed to measure intimal-medial thickness in the carotid arteries and compliance in the aortic iliac axis. A positive significant relation emerged between carotid intimal-medial thickness and the length of time on dialysis (p < or = 0.001). Furthermore there was a significant correlation between intimal-medial thickness and LDL cholesterol (p < or = 0.001). No correlation was found between aortic-iliac compliance and the clinical variables considered. Non-invasive examination of the peripheral arteries with ultrasound could be a useful technique in the follow-up of patients on dialytic treatment; it could aid in the identification of the patients who are at increased vascular risk.