Abstract: Objective To investigate the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods A total of 81 MHD patients (38 males and 43 females; 23-83 years old) treated in the First Blood Purification Center, Shengjing Hospital, Chinese Medical University from June 2006 to June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. They were treated with regular hemodialysis of 4 hours/time and 2-3 times/week with the average dialysis age of 56± 39.1 months. Echocardiography was used for the diagnosis of LVH. The effects of age, blood pressure, fluid load, ultrafiltration volume, anemia, nutritional status, and secondary hyperparathyroidism on LVH were analyzed. Results Age (F=5.697, t=-3.557, P=0.000), systolic blood pressure (F=0.338, t=5.171, P=0.000), diastolic blood pressure (F=4.990, t=3.971, P=0.000), mean arterial pressure (F=1.110, t=5.119, P=0.000), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP, F=35.531, t=0.000, P=0.000), and hemoglobin (F=0.029, t=-4.696, P=0.000) were statistically different between MHD patients with LVH and those without LVH; systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and BNP were positively correlated with LVH, and age and hemoglobin were negatively correlated with LVH. When comparison of related factors was made at the maximum value and minimum value of left ventricular mass index for every patient, there were significant differences in systolic blood pressure (t=2.528, P= 0.015), ultrafiltration volume (t=- 2.472, P=0.016), BNP (t=3.059, P=0.006) and hemoglobin (t=- 2.889, P= 0.006); systolic blood pressure and BNP were positively correlated with left ventricular mass index, and ultrafiltration volume and hemoglobin were negatively correlated with left ventricular mass index. Logistic regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure (OR=1.033, 95% CI 1.011~1.057, P=0.004) and BNP (OR= 1.001, 95% CI 1.000~1.001, P<0.001) were the independent risk factors for LVH. In addition, serum calcium (F=0.660, t=0.141, P=0.888) and phosphorus (F=1.337, t=0.907, P=0.365), intact parathyroid hormone (F=0.579, t=-0.149, P=0.881), serum albumin (F=1.419, t=-1.615, P=0.108) and body mass index (F=1.806, t=0.043, P=0.966) showed no significant differences between MHD patients with LVH and those without LVH. When comparison of related factors was made at the maximum value and minimum value of left ventricular mass index, serum calcium (t=- 1.051, P=0.299), serum phosphorus (t=- 1.763, P=0.084), intact parathyroid hormone (t=-1.381, P=0.174), serum albumin (t=-1.602, P=0.116) and body mass index (t=-1.583, P=0.119)
also showed no statistical significances. Conclusion LVH was closely related to blood pressure, fluid over load and anemia in MHD patients. Therefore, reducing blood presure especial systolic blood pressure and fluid load, and treatment of anemia will be helpful for the improvement of LVH in MHD patients.

Key words: Maintenance hemodialysis, Left ventricular hypertrophy, Left ventricular mass index