[Lipid profile of patients on chronic hemodialysis (Morocco)]

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving chronic hemodialysis show a high incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease of multifactorial etiology and an association between dyslipidemia and accelerated atherosclerosis.

Our aim was to study lipid profiles in ESRD patients receiving dialysis regularly at our hospital (Morocco).Subjects and methods : The patient population consisted of 30 ESRD patients on maintenance haemodialysis. Matched control subjects were recruited among healthy normolipidemic patients. Concentrations of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured. The atherogenic index (AI = TC/HDL-C ratio) was calculated.

The TG, the HDL-C levels and atherogenic index were significantly higher in groups of hemodialysis patients. We saw no increase in the levels of TC and LDL-C. The prevalence of dyslipidemia in hemodialysis group was high (80%). The most frequent lipid alterations were decreased HDL-C (70%), increased TG (33,3%) and increased LDL-C (23,3%); 50% of ESRD patients have more than two different dyslipidemic findings. AI was higher (≥ 5) in 33,3% of cases.

The prevalence of dyslipidemia is higher than normal in ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Classically, these patients have had low levels of HDL-C and elevated TG levels. Strict control of dyslipidemia should be part of the cardiovascular risk prevention strategy in this population.