Blood pressure variability among chronic dialysis patients: recent advances in knowledge.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review focuses on recent evidence linking blood pressure variability (BPV) to adverse clinical outcomes in the chronic hemodialysis patient population.

RECENT FINDINGS

BPV is an increasingly recognized poor prognostic factor in the general population. A growing body of evidence suggests that both short-term and long-term BPV are associated with adverse events among chronic dialysis patients. Over the last 18 months, several studies have linked long-term BPV (considered dialysis treatment to dialysis treatment) to all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Similar results have been demonstrated for short-term (considered as intradialytic) BPV and clinical outcomes. Further studies substantiating these findings and examining potential BPV mitigation strategies are needed. Additionally, a BPV metric that is easily calculated and tracked in the clinical setting is necessary before BPV can become a routine component of clinical monitoring.

SUMMARY

Recent observational data demonstrate an association between short-term and long-term BPV and adverse outcomes among chronic hemodialysis patients. Further research is needed to identify strategies that mitigate this risk and to translate these findings into clinical practice.