Blood Pressure Behaviour in Hemodialysis Patients Treated for 10 Years

Abstract

A longitudinal analysis of blood pressure was performed in 30 patients on hemodialysis for at least 10 years, in order to clarify the long-term outcome of hypertension in dialysis patients. Before the start of the dialysis treatment 22 (73.3%) patients were hypertensive, while, after 10 years, only 5 (16.6%) were still hypertensive. Body weight tended to decrease progressively thoughout the period of observation. Hypertension disappeared in the younger patients while it remained/appeared in those who were order showing the characteristics of systolic hypertension. Except for hematocrit no significant differences in metabolic findings were found between normotensive and hypertensive patients. ECG abnormalities were found to be more frequent after 10 years of dialysis than before the start of treatment. High blood pressure tends to disappear progressively in hemodialysis patients and to be no longer a problem in long-term survivors.