Hypertension is a well-known cardiovascular risk. Patients with end-stage renal diseases frequently suffer hypertension, and their blood pressure elevates in winter. However, seasonal changes in daily variations of blood pressure are poorly assessed in patients treated with hemodialysis. Thirty hypertensive patients with end-stage renal diseases were enrolled in the study. Dry weight and antihypertensive medications were altered when they were necessary. Home blood pressure measurements were performed at least for 1 week in each season; April-May 2008, July-August 2008, October-November 2008, and January-February 2009. Both morning and evening systolic blood pressures (SBPs) showed significant seasonal changes ( p < 0.01), with the highest blood pressure in winter (162 +/- 18 and 135 +/- 22 mmHg in morning and evening). Morning diastolic blood pressure (DBP) also exhibited seasonal changes ( p < 0.05), with the highest blood pressure in fall ( 78 +/- 8 mmHg). Evening DBP did not manifest seasonal deviations. Morning-evening differences in SBP and DBP were the greatest in winter (28 +/- 21 and 10 +/- 9 mmHg in SBP and DBP, p < 0.01), and the smallest in summer (16 +/- 12 and 6 +/- 5 mmHg). Daily variations of SBP and DBPs in spring (19 +/- 12 and 7 +/- 6 mmHg) and fall (20 +/- 13 and 9 +/- 8 mmHg) were between those of summer and winter. Our results indicate that not only averaged blood pressure but also variations of blood pressure in winter are larger than the other seasons, and suggest that these blood pressure variations participate in cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with end-stage renal diseases.
Although the patients with diabetic nephropathy suffered high cardiovascular risk, augmentation index (AI) in diabetic nephropathy has been poorly characterized. Cross-sectional studies were performed on 26 diabetic and 27 nondiabetic nephropathic patients. Home blood pressure was examined. In addition, blood pressure, pulse rate, and AI were measured in both supine and sitting positions. Patient backgrounds such as age, sex, sitting blood pressure, and pulse rate were similar between two groups. Circadian variations of home blood pressure were preserved in nondiabetic patients, but disappeared in diabetes. Changing from supine to sitting position induced greater decrements of systolic blood pressure (DeltaSBP -9 +/- 8 mmHg) and AI (DeltaAI -7 +/- 10) in the diabetic group than in nondiabetic patients (DeltaSBP -4 +/- 12 mmHg, DeltaAI -2 +/- 9). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that AI in a sitting position correlated positively to SBP and inversely to pulse rate. Of interest, AI in supine position related positively to age, the presence of diabetes and SBP, and inversely to pulse rate. The present data indicate autonomic dysfunction in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, our findings provide the evidence that autonomic dysfunction elicits an inadequate physiological arterial contraction in response to postural change, thereby reducing AI that results in the fall of SBP. Finally, the present results suggest that AI in supine, but not sitting position, is suited for detecting cardiovascular risk in diabetes.
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading disease that requires renal replacement therapy. The progression of renal dysfunction in DN is faster than the other renal diseases. While antihypertensive therapy reduces albuminuria, a good indicator for the progression, hypertension in DN is treatment resistant. Among patients with DN who took angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), 27 patients who exhibited poor control of albuminuria were enrolled into the study. Angiotensin receptor blocker was exchanged to aliskiren (150-300 mg/d) and clinical parameters were followed for 6 months. Exchange to aliskiren decreased albuminuria (1.57 ± 0.68 to 0.89 ± 0.45 g/gCr, P < .01) without changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate and office blood pressure (BP). Body weight and hemoglobin A1c were not altered. Aliskiren also reduced plasma renin activity (2.0 ± 0.9 to 1.2 ± 0.6 ng/mL/h, P < .01). While evening BP was unchanged, morning systolic BP (139 ± 8 to 132 ± 7 mm Hg, P < .01) and diastolic BP (81 ± 7 to 76 ± 6 mm Hg, P < .05) were decreased significantly after 6 months. Our results indicated that aliskiren decreased BP, especially morning BP in hypertensive patients with DN. The present data suggest that aliskiren exerts renoprotective actions including reduction in albumin excretion for patients with DN.
Observational studies suggest that home hemodialysis (HHD) is associated with improvements in several important clinical parameters. These include better control of blood pressure, reductions in left ventricular hypertrophy, calcium-phosphate production, improved nutritional status and enhanced health-related quality of life. In Japan, many case reports and studies of small series of patients treated with HHD have been published mainly in Japanese. The current study was to describe the short-term effects in patients starting HHD at the Kidney Disease Center, Saitama Medical University. This study represents a comprehensive evaluation of the benefits of switching patients from conventional in-center hemodialysis to HHD in Japan. The pertinent findings are as follows: an improvement in blood pressure control paralleled with a reduction in antihypertensive pharmacotherapy an improvement in serum albumin and hemoglobin levels, and a simultaneous reduction in erythropoietin-stimulating agent, calcium and phosphate levels. In conclusion, our study confirms that selected patients may benefit from HHD which offers an attractive treatment alternative and improvements provided by HHD might ultimately have an impact On patient Survival.
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