Hypertension in dialysis patients: a cross-sectional analysis.

To clarify the current status of blood pressure control in chronic dialysis patients, we investigated a large group of patients undergoing dialysis in Okinawa, Japan. A set of cross-sectional data of 18 variables, including age, antihypertensive medication, dose of dialysis, blood chemistry findings and predialysis blood pressure, were obtained in 1,243 patients (524 females, 719 males) aged 14 to 93 years who were on hemodialysis in January 1991. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients taking antihypertensive medication (160.8 +/- 0.8/84.6 +/- 0.5 mmHg, mean +/- SEM) were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than in those were not taking antihypertensive medication (141.3 +/- 0.8/76.9 +/- 0.5). Stepwise regression and univariate analysis methods were used to determine the independent predictors of blood pressure. Antihypertensive medication was positively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, the mortality rate of the two groups during the following four years did not differ (antihypertensive-medicated group 23.1% vs. non-medicated group 20.9%). In conclusion, hypertension does not appear to be adequately controlled in our dialysis patients, despite the widespread use of antihypertensive medications.