Comparison of aortic pressures and aortic elastic properties between patients with end-stage renal disease and healthy controls

Background: Current evidence indicates that vascular calcification plays an essential role in the development of cardiovascular diseases in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Arterial stiffness is a marker of increased cardiovascular risk in various populations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the elastic properties of ascending aorta in patients with ESRD. Methods: This single-center study enrolled 96 patients (45 females, age: 57.2 +/- 12.8 years) with ESRD and 96 healthy controls (52 females, age: 55.3 +/- 10.1 years). Aortic pressures and aortic elastic parameters including aortic strain, aortic distensibility, aortic stiffness index, and aortic compliance were calculated using accepted formulae. Results: The hemodynamic parameters including aortic pulse pressure, aortic mean pressure, aortic fractional pulse pressure, and aortic pulsatility index were significantly higher in patients with ESRD. Systolic and diastolic aortic diameters were similar between the groups. However, pulsatile aortic diameter change, aortic strain, aortic distensibility, and aortic compliance were significantly lower, whereas aortic stiffness index was significantly higher in ESRD group. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that a significant difference was present in terms of aortic blood pressures between patients with ESRD and controls. In addition, the elastic properties of ascending aorta were decreased in patients with ESRD.