Does atherosclerosis caused by dialysis limit this treatment?

A retrospective study of 332 dialysis patients (observation period up to 17 years) demonstrated that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death rates due to atherosclerosis did not increase with length of time on dialysis. Data analysis showed that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality during dialysis is primarily caused by high blood pressure existing prior to commencement of dialysis and an unfavourable very low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein (VLDL/HDL) cholesterol quotient at the beginning of dialysis treatment. The treatment of the patient before acceptance onto dialysis seems therefore to be the determining factor in the prognosis on dialysis.