Abstract:

Chronic renal failure affects significantly cardiovascular system as well as other systems of the body. In this study we aimed to investigate the morphologic and structural changes of the heart undergoing regular hemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure, via echocardiography. Fifty patients with chronic renal failure who were on regular hemodialysis and 40 healthy subjects without any renal or cardiac problems were included in this study. Left ventricular dimensional were assessed via M-mode echo, wall motion disorder and pericard via two-dimensional echo, diastolic mitral flow rate via pulsed Doppler and valve insufficiencies via colored Doppler echo. Tricuspid regurgitation flow was the guide for the measurement of pulmonary artery pressure. In 95% of the patients with chronic renal failure had morphological changes via the assessment of two-dimension echo. There were 45 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, 20 patients with icy glass appearance of the myocardium, 22 patients with valve calcification, 20 patients with valve regurgitation, 15 patients with pericardial effusion and 11 patients with pulmonary hypertension. In the control group, 2 subjects had left ventricular hypertrophy, and there were 2 subjects with valve regurgitation and 4 subjects with mitral valve prolapse. There was a decrease in early left ventricular filling (p<0.05), an increase in atrial filling (p>0.05), a decrease in the ratio of E/A, and lengthening in the deceleration time (p<0.05, p<0.05) in patients with chronic renal failure when compared to the control group. Also, isovolumetric relaxation time was higher in patients with chronic renal failure (p<0.05). Echocardiographic follow up gives economic, non-invasive and valuable information about patients with chronic renal failure. We concluded that these patients should be assessed by echocardiography at regular intervals.

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