[Myocardial function of the chronic hemodialysed patient. Evaluation by measurement of systolic time intervals].

Study of myocardial function in chronic haemodialysis patients by the measurement of systolic time intervals reveals an alteration in left ventricular performance. These results are in favour of the hypothesis of a multifactorial cardiomyopathy associated with chronic haemodialysis. In the absent of long standing or severe hypertension, blood pressure levels have no significant influence on systolic interval times, this also applying to the degree of anaemia. The age of the patient and the length of time they have spent on haemodialysis are two cumulative risk factors with respect to altered ventricular performance.