Objective To observe the effects of ANP, cGMP and the inferior caval vein diameter (ICVD) on evaluating the dry body weight of hemodialysis patients. Methods Assessed and regulated the dry body weight of 40 maintenance hemodialysis patients with clinical methods and ANP, cGMP and ICVD. Then, compared the changes of these indicators before and after hemodialysis and with 32 normal controls. Results The levels of plasma ANP and cGMP after hemodialysis were significantly lower than before, but all of them were still higher significantly than the contral. In the overload patients judged by clinical methods, the ANP and cGMP significantly decreased after reducing their dry body weight. The plasma ANP and cGMP levels in the overload patients evaluated by ICVD were higher than download and normal patients. Conclusions The plasma levels of ANP and cGMP were better indicators to assess the overload status in hemodialysis patients. Whereas the ICVD can be used to evaluate the overload and download status.