Impact of intradialytic blood pressure changes on cardiovascular outcomes is independent of the volume status of maintenance hemodialysis patients

Intradialytic systolic blood pressure (SBP) changes are related to the volume status; however, whether SBP change impacts on adverse outcomes depends on the volume status remains uncertain. We retrospectively investigated the relationship among intradialytic changes in SBP, cardiovascular outcomes, and volume status in maintenance hemodialysis patients. We determined SBP changes (ΔSBP) as postdialysis SBP minus predialysis SBP and volume status as the ratio of extracellular water to total body water (ECW/TBW) using bioelectrical impedance analysis. There were 82 (60.3%) with ΔSBP −20 to 10 mm Hg, 21 (15.4%) with ΔSBP ≤ −20 mm Hg, and 33 (24.3%) with ΔSBP ≥ 10 mm Hg, and they were followed up for a median of 34 months. Cardiovascular events more frequently occurred in the patients with ΔSBP ≤ −20 mm Hg and ≥ 10 mm Hg (hazard ratio: 2.3 and 3.0; P = .062 and .006); these associations persisted even after adjusting for postdialysis ECW/TBW (P = .056 and .028). Moreover, ΔSBP ≥ 10 mm Hg was associated with increased cardiovascular mortalities independent of postdialysis ECW/TBW (P = .043). There was an independent association of volume status between considerable SBP decrease or increase during hemodialysis and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Besides appropriate volume control, other factors related to BP changes during hemodialysis must be investigated.