[Effects of hemodialysis on left ventricular performance: a Doppler echocardiographic study]

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance was examined using Doppler and M-mode echocardiography in 42 patients with chronic renal failure before and after hemodialysis. Twenty patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, 22 without hypertrophy and 30 normal subjects were studied. Chronic renal failure patients showed significantly larger chamber diameters of the left ventricle, left atrium and right ventricle than did normal subjects. This group also exhibited greater fractional shortening, stroke volume and cardiac output. Before hemodialysis, patients with left ventricular hypertrophy had a significantly higher cardiac output and the greater ratio of late to early diastolic peak flow velocities (A/R) than did patients without hypertrophy. After hemodialysis, there were significant reductions in blood pressure, ventricular and atrial dimensions, stroke volume and cardiac output. The velocities of early and late diastolic left ventricular filling and the deceleration rate were also significantly reduced. The heart rate, A/R, deceleration half time, and the ratio of deceleration half time to acceleration half time (DHT/AHT) were significantly increased. The greater the amount of fluid removed, the greater the changes in the above values. Patients with left ventricular hypertrophy exhibited significant reductions in fractional shortening, ejection fraction, stroke volume and cardiac output, compared to those without hypertrophy. However, patients without hypertrophy showed more significant decrease in the acceleration half time and increase in DHT/AHT than did patients with hypertrophy. These findings demonstrated normal systolic function and impaired diastolic properties in patients with chronic renal failure, who had left ventricular hypertrophy unaccompanied by dilatation.