Pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart failure in hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Cardiovascular complications are associated with poor outcomes in patients with End stage renal disease. This study is aimed to evaluate the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension and right side heart failure in hemodialysis patients, trying to decrease these complications by referring them to the cardiologist in order to manage them either by medical or interventional methods. Methods: A cross-sectional study for evaluation the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension and right sided heart failure in hemodialysis patients was carried out in Duhok kidney center in Kurdistan region-Iraq through a duration period of one year from first of February, 2020 to 31st of January, 2021 for 101 patients. Data were collected which included Age, gender, BMI, causes of renal failure and vascular access, and echocardiography was conducted by a cardiologist, he evaluated them by using tricuspid regurgitation jet peak gradient for pulmonary hypertension, and by using tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion method for evaluation of right ventricular function. Results: In the current study 51 females with melasma. Their ages ranged between (19-46) years, with (59.9%) between (28-38) years. The duration of melasma was from 6 months to 9 years. Thirty-eight of them were married and had pregnancy. Thyroid stimulating hormone levels were high in 22 of them (43.1%), 20 out of 22 cases that was had high levels of thyroid stimulating hormone had dermal type of melasma by Wood’s lamp examination and their p-value was significant (0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension among patients on hemodialysis in Kurdistan region-Iraq is within the Iraqi and international range studies with low prevalence of right ventricular dysfunction.