Clinical Study of Cardiovascular Complications in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Special Reference to Echocardiography

Background: Cardiovascular abnormalities are commonly encountered in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end stage renal disease (ESRD) and these include left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left ventricular dilatation, and left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Uremic cardiomyopathy is thought to be the pathological cardiac hypertrophy, indicating the influence of impaired renal function on the myocardium. Cardiovascular complications lead in all causes of mortality among patients with CKD, accounting for approximately 50% of deaths. Method: It was a hospital based study conducted from March 2014 to March 2015 in Guwahati Medical College where CKD patients were evaluated for presence of any cardiovascular morbidity. Results: Cardiomegaly on chest x-ray was present in 64% of the patients. Electrocardiography and 2D echocardiography of patients revealed LVH in76% and 84% of patients. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) was found in 52 % of patient of which 34 % had mild dysfunction (LVEF= 45% -54%) and 18 % had moderate dysfunction (LVEF= 35% -44%). Diastolic dysfunction was found in 54 % of patient. Conclusion: Cardiovascular complications are common in patients with chronic kidney disease, which is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients and the most common morbidity found in this study was left ventricular hypertrophy.