Dialysis is used for people who have lost
kidney function. It saves a vast number of
lives, but often leads to problems with
the cardiovascular system.
Image: iStockphoto
Worldwide, more than a million people receive dialysis on an ongoing basis, and up to 20% of these patients will die each year. These patients have an extremely high risk of death – in the USA 1 in 8 dialysis patients will die each year. Until now, no one has proven how to reduce this high risk.
For the first time, Australian researchers at The George Institute have identified that blood pressure lowering treatment significantly reduces the risk of death for dialysis patients. As a world-first, this systematic review has been fast tracked by the Lancet and will be published online.
The report concluded that "Treatment with agents that lower blood pressure should routinely be considered for individuals undergoing dialysis to reduce the very high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rate in this population."
