[Vascular calcifications in subjects with and without chronic renal failure: types, sites and risk factors]

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Vascular calcifications are linked to adverse outcomes in the general population and dialysis patients.
• Patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis exhibit a higher prevalence of vascular calcifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and associations of intimal and medial arterial calcifications in patients on chronic hemodialysis compared to healthy controls.
• To evaluate ultrasonography as a tool for detecting vascular calcifications in this high-risk group.

Main Methods:

• B-mode ultrasonography was used to assess intimal and medial calcifications in the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta, and femoral and tibial arteries.
• The study included 146 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 63 healthy controls under 65 years of age.

Main Results:

• Vascular calcifications were significantly more prevalent in hemodialysis patients across all assessed arteries compared to controls (p < 0.01).
• Carotid intimal calcification, abdominal aortic calcification, and medial calcification in the superficial femoral and posterior tibial arteries were associated with dialysis and cardiovascular disease.
• Intimal arterial calcification was linked to older age and smoking.

Conclusions:

• Vascular calcifications are highly prevalent in middle-aged hemodialysis patients.
• Ultrasonography is a sensitive, reproducible, and cost-effective imaging technique for identifying arterial calcifications in high-risk cardiovascular subjects within nephrology settings.