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Intima media thickness in children undergoing dialysis
Luis Antonio Chavarria1, Alejandra Aguilar-Kitsu, Patricia Rosas
1Departamento de Nefrologia, Hospital de Pediatria, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Mexico City, Mexico.
Insights
Vascular calcification is common in children on dialysis, increasing with time. Hemodialysis (HD) is linked to increased vascular issues compared to peritoneal dialysis (PD), highlighting the need for monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Cardiovascular Health in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Background:
- Uremic vasculopathy and vascular calcification are significant risks for cardiovascular disease and mortality in CKD patients.
- Investigated prevalence and factors associated with vasculopathy in pediatric patients undergoing dialysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of vasculopathy in children on peritoneal dialysis (PD) or hemodialysis (HD).
- To identify factors associated with vasculopathy in pediatric dialysis patients.
Main Methods:
- Assessed common carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) in 60 pediatric patients (mean age 12.9 years) on PD or HD.
- Analyzed cIMT in relation to demographics, biochemical parameters, and medication, dividing patients into normal and increased cIMT groups.
Main Results:
- Increased cIMT (29 patients) was associated with longer dialysis duration (>2 years), hypercalcemia, higher calcitriol dose, and hemodialysis (HD) compared to peritoneal dialysis (PD).
- Multivariate analysis confirmed HD as an independent risk factor for increased cIMT, even after accounting for dialysis duration.
Conclusions:
- Increased cIMT prevalence in pediatric dialysis patients is similar to adults and rises with dialysis duration.
- HD is associated with increased cIMT independently of time on dialysis, suggesting a need for monitoring and intervention in pediatric dialysis patients.
Background:
Uremic vasculopathy, including vascular calcification, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We have investigated the prevalence and factors associated with vasculopathy in children undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) or hemodialysis (HD) in a single center.
Methods:
Common carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and its relation with demographics, biochemical parameters and medication was analyzed in 60 patients (mean age 12.9 ± 3.4 years; 27 girls) treated with PD (n = 31) or HD (n = 29) for 34 ± 34 months. Patients were divided into two groups: normal cIMT and increased cIMT.
Results:
Mean levels of calcium, phosphate and calcium/phosphate product were in the normal range, the but parathyroid hormone level, 729 ± 670 pg/mL, was higher than the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Iniative (K/DOQI) recommendations. Twenty-nine patients had increased cIMT, which was associated with time on dialysis of >2 years, hypercalcemia, higher daily dose of calcitriol and HD (vs. PD). In the multivariate analysis, accounting for time on dialysis, HD persisted as a risk for increased cIMT.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of increased cIMT in children on dialysis is similar to that reported in adults with CKD and increased with time on dialysis. HD was associated with increased cIMT, independently of time on dialysis; however, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the possible impact of confounding factors. These results underline the need to monitor and, if possible, prevent and treat increased cIMT in children on dialysis.
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