Heart failure biomarkers in hemodialysis patients

The diagnosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is made when the estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 15 mL/min/1.73 m2. Most patients with that stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are eligible for renal replacement treatment, which includes kidney transplantation, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. It is well recognized that CKD raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and is linked to a higher cardiovascular death rate in this population. Additionally, the largest risk of cardiovascular events is seen in ESRD patients. Heart failure (HF) and dangerous arrhythmias, which are more common in the advanced stages of CKD, are two additional causes of cardiovascular death in addition to atherosclerosis-related complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke. In this review the significance of natriuretic peptides and other HF biomarkers in hemodialysis patients, as tools for cardiovascular risk assessment will be discussed.