Left ventricular function in end stage renal disease--non-invasive assessment in patients on maintenance hemodialysis

Non-invasive assessment of left ventricular function was performed by echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography in 17 end-stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Patients with diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease and pericardial or valvular heart disease were excluded from the study. Parameters studied on echocardiography were left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd), left atrial diameter (LAD), Aortic root diameter (ARD), Left ventricular posterior wall thickness in systole (LVPWs), End diastolic volume (EDV), End Systolic volume (ESV), fractional shortening percentage (FS%) and ejection fraction (EF). Parameters studied on radionuclide ventriculography were Peak ejection rate (PER), Peak filling rate (PFR) and Ejection fraction (EF). Significantly abnormal values for echocardiographic parameters LVIDd, LVPWs, EDV, ESV and FS% were found. On evaluation by MUGA scans, it was observed that the PER was significantly decreased while the PFR and EF did not change significantly.