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Published on: October 2, 2020
Vascular function and mortality in haemodialysis patients: a pilot study
Brad S Dalton1, Robert G Fassett, Dominic P Geraghty
1University of Tasmania, School of Human Life Sciences, Australia.
Endothelial-independent vascular function, measured by glyceryl trinitrate response, predicts mortality in haemodialysis patients. This vascular assessment may offer better prognostic value than endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Nephrology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Haemodialysis patients frequently exhibit impaired vascular function, a significant contributor to mortality.
- Brachial artery reactivity (BAR) assesses endothelial-dependent (flow-mediated dilation, FMD) and -independent (glyceryl trinitrate, GTN) vascular function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between BAR measurements and mortality in haemodialysis patients.
- To evaluate the prognostic value of endothelial-dependent and -independent vascular function in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a pilot study assessing brachial artery responses to FMD and GTN in haemodialysis patients.
- Followed patients for up to 18 months post-BAR measurement to track mortality outcomes.
Main Results:
- Patients who survived had significantly greater vasodilatation to GTN (19.1% vs 8.8%; P=0.04) and a larger area under the diameter change-time curve (318 vs 146 mm/s; P=0.03) compared to those who died.
- No significant differences were observed between survivors and deceased patients in FMD response (6.0% vs 4.3%; P=0.21) or related metrics.
Conclusions:
- Endothelial-independent vasodilatory response to GTN is associated with mortality in haemodialysis patients.
- The GTN response demonstrated better prognostic value than the FMD response in this pilot study.
- Further investigation in a larger cohort is warranted to confirm these findings.
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