Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of the most important accompanying comorbidities with hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease. The prevalence of hemodialysis-induced PH is still a subject of debate. The goal of the present work was to determine the prevalence of PH in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

This study was carried out on patients undergoing hemodialysis for at least 6 months. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was measured by a cardiologist using echocardiography, and a value equal to or higher than 35 mm Hg was considered PH. The relationship of a high PAP with demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients was assessed.

A total of 102 patients were included in the study. The mean of age was 59 +/- 18 years. The most common cause of end-stage renal disease was diabetes mellitus (35%). The mean duration of hemodialysis was 24 +/- 17 months. The mean ejection fraction and PAP were 57 +/- 5% (range, 44% to 73%) and 39 +/- 9 mm Hg (range, 25 mm Hg to 70 mm Hg), respectively. Overall, 66% of the patients had PH. These patients were more likely to be on dialysis for a longer duration and to have low ejection fractions. They were also older than other patients.

Our findings show that PH is associated with duration of dialysis, age, and ejection fraction. Due to the high prevalence of PH among hemodialysis patients, it is necessary to screen this disorder and minimize its effects.