Serum Visfatin Level and Cardiac Valve Calcifcation in Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Cardiac valve calcification is a serious complication in patients with cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the relationship between visfatin levels and cardiac valve calcification in individuals undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at Beijing Luhe Hospital of Capital Medical University, enrolling 339 maintenance hemodialysis patients between June 2023 and May 2024. We collected baseline data including sex, age, underlying diseases, electrolyte levels, and parathyroid hormone levels. Patients were categorized into cardiac valve calcification and non-cardiac valve calcification groups based on echocardiogram findings; we analyzed associations between valve calcification and clinical data.

Results: Of the 339 hemodialysis patients, 186 (55.8%) were male, with an average age of 66.1 ± 12.5 years and a mean dialysis duration of 58.7 ± 45.3 months. Cardiac valve calcification was present in 36.7% of patients. Compared to the non-cardiac valve calcification group, patients with cardiac valve calcification were significantly older, had longer dialysis durations, a higher prevalence of coronary heart disease, longer histories of hypertension, elevated intact parathyroid hormone levels, and increased visfatin levels (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified advanced age, prolonged dialysis duration, an extended hypertension history, and elevated serum visfatin as factors associated with valve calcification.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that cardiac valve calcification is significantly linked to advanced age and higher visfatin concentrations in hemodialysis patients. Calcium and phosphate levels did not show significant group differences in this study.