Pulmonary hypertension in peritoneal dialysis patients

The information available in the literature regarding pulmonary hypertension (PH) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is limited. The objective of the present study was to examine the prevalence and characteristics of PH in PD patients. We retrospectively collected the clinical profile, echocardiographic (ECHO) findings, and biochemical data for 36 PD patients for which ECHO findings were available. We compared characteristics between patients with and without PH. We found PH, defined as pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) > or = 35 mmHg, in 15 patients. The prevalence of PH was 42%. Mean age (+/- standard deviation) of the patients with and without PH was 58 +/- 15 years and 52 +/- 15 years respectively (p = 0.30). Mean PAP of the PH patients was 43.8 +/- 9.0 mmHg (range: 35-65 mmHg). Patients with PH had a lower ejection fraction than did patients without PH (46.3% +/- 19.8% vs. 56.5% +/- 11.8% respectively, p = 0.07). Patients with PH also had a higher prevalence of global hypokinesia (60% vs. 29%, p = 0. 059) and dilated left ventricular chamber (53% vs. 19%, p = 0.03). In PH patients, body mass index (24 +/- 4.5 kg/m2 vs. 28 +/- 5.0 kg/m2, p = 0.024), normalized protein catabolic rate (0. 78 +/- 0.21 g/kg vs. 0.95 +/- 0.27 g/kg daily, p = 0.049), and ferritin (226 +/- 210 ng/mL vs. 873 +/- 965 ng/mL, p = 0.005) were significantly lower and lactate dehydrogenase was higher (264 +/- 99 U/L vs. 206 +/- 79 U/L, p = 0.06) than in patients without PH. We observed no significant differences in race or sex, incidence of hypertension or cardiovascular disease, or vitamin D analog use between the two groups of patients. During the study period, 60% of PH patients and 38% of patients without PH died (p = 0.19). Values of PAP correlated directly with serum levels of phosphorus (r = 0.44, p = 0.02), CaxP product (r = 0.40, p = 0.04), and parathyroid hormone (r = 0.42, p = 0.03). Of continuous ambulatory PD and continuous cycling PD patients, 21% and 55% respectively had PH (p = 0. 049). In PD patients, PH is highly prevalent and may be associated with higher mortality risk.