[Changes of left ventricular transverse diameter and of contractility after haemodialysis (author's transl)]

In 26 patients (8 women, 18 men; mean age 47 +/- 3 years) who participated in a regular dialysis programme twice weekly the left ventricular diameter, the mean velocity of fibre shortening, the ventricular wall thickness, and the muscle mass were determined echocardiographically. Left ventricular muscle mass (187 +/- 13 g), left ventricular posterobasal wall thickness (14,7 +/- 0,6 mm) and septal thickness (16,4 +/- 0,8 mm) were pathologically increased due to chronic pressure and volume overloading. After an average dialysis time of 12 hours the body weight was reduced by 2,6 +/- 0,4 kg (+ 1,0 to -7,8 kg). The left ventricular transverse diameter changed from 55,3 to 50,2 mm (P less than 0,001) which correlated with a decrease of the enddiastolic volume from 160 +/- 11 to 125 +/- 10 ml (P less than 0,01(. Despite increased cardiac frequency and unchanged diastolic and systolic pressure no significant increase of the mean velocity of fibre shortening (0,93 +/- 0,06 vector 1,13 +/- 0,09 circ/s) occurred. The results show that loss of fluid during haemodialysis led to a significant decrease of the enddiastolic transverse diameter and the enddiastolic left ventricular volume. However, dialysis does not lead to an increase of the mean velocity of fibre shortening as a parameter of improved contractility.