Nonparallel Progression of Left Ventricular Structure and Function in Long-Term Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction are key cardiovascular risk factors of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamic changes of left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients on long-term PD.

Patients who underwent PD catheter insertions from January 2010 to December 2012 in our PD center were enrolled into this study. Cardiac structure and function of those patients were determined by echocardiography (4 times) at 12-month intervals. Patients' biochemical parameters, body mass index, blood pressure, urine output, ultrafiltration, and total fluid removal volume were collected. The use of antihypertensive drugs and active vitamin D₃ was also recorded.

A total of 40 patients were included. After 3 years of follow-up, patients' PD duration time, LV mass/height^2.7 (p = 0.580), interventricular septal thickness (p = 0.216), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (p = 0.216), and LV ejection fraction (p = 0.270) did not show significant changes during the follow-up. In contrast, the E/A ratio (p = 0.004) and e' (p < 0.001) were statistically decreased, and the E/e' ratio (p = 0.006) was increased. Left atrial diameter was increased (p = 0.008), but the changes in left atrial diameter index did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.090).

Long-term PD patients maintain stable LV structure and cardiac systolic function, but cardiac diastolic function declines over time.