Abstract: Objective The usefulness of shear rate (SR) in carotid artery obtained by Doppler ultrasonography for the evaluation of atherosclerosis in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Methods Sixty-eight patients on hemodialysis and forty-eight normal individuals as the controls were included in this study. Atherosclerosis plaques in carotid artery were examined by Doppler ultrasonography. Diameter, intimal and medial thickness as well as hemodynamic parameters of the arteries were obtained, and the SR was calculated. Patients and normal controls were then subdivided into plaque positive groups and plaque negative groups. Flow mediated dilation in brachial artery was measured at the same time by ultrasonography. Results The SR in carotid arteries and flow mediated dilation in brachial arteries were significantly lower in patients than those in normal controls. The incidence rate of atherosclerosis plaque in carotid artery was higher in patients than that in normal controls (P < 0.05). In patients on hemodialysis, higher age and increased C- reactive protein were frequently seen in the plaque positive group. Conclusion Decreased SR is one of the hemodynamic features in maintenance hemodialysis patients. SR may be valuable for the detection of atherosclerosis and its progression in these patients.

Key words: Carotid atherosclerosis, Hemodialysis