Prevalence of severe carotid artery stenosis and its association with echocardiographic parameters in maintenance hemodialysis patients

OBJECTIVES
We aimed to determine the prevalence of significant carotid stenosis in maintenance hemodialysis patients and to identify biochemical and echocardiographic predictors of significant carotid stenosis in those patients.

STUDY DESIGN
One hundred and seventeen maintenance hemodialysis patients were included in this study. Echocardiography biochemical tests and carotid artery Doppler ultrasonography were performed in all patients. Data obtained from patients without severe carotid stenosis were compared with those obtained from patients with severe carotid stenosis.

RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 56.9±12.2 years. Eleven patients had carotid artery stenosis (9.4%). While there was a trend of higher left ventricle end diastolic diameter in severe carotid artery stenosis (p=0.06), no statistically significant biochemical or echocardiographic differences were noted between the patients.

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated that the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis is 5-10- fold higher than in the general population. All patients in a chronic hemodialysis program should be screened for carotid artery stenosis for prevention of cerebrovascular diseases.