Animal study: 2 rat models with induced kidney disease; clinical study: 171 HD human patients
In rats, peak global radial and circumferential strain was reduced and correlated with interstitial fibrosis (PCC of 0.701 and 0.678, resp.) on histological examination In ESRD patients, mean (±standard deviation) global longitudinal peak systolic was significantly reduced in comparison to healthy subjects (−12.04 ± 3.54 versus −18.37 ± 4.29, resp.; ) and this had significant effect on cardiovascular mortality HR = 1.17 (CI: 1.04–1.30; )
LV contractility may differ in rats and humans; therefore one cannot entirely extrapolate animal data to dialysis patients
Cross-sectional study of 33 patients on HD, 24 renal transplant recipients with functional grafts, 26 age- and sex-matched control subjects
Mean (±standard deviation) global longitudinal systolic strain from the 4-chamber view was highest in control subjects (−14.5% ± 2.9%) and was higher in renal transplant recipients (−12.5% ± 3.0%) than ESRD patients (−10.2% ± 1.6%; ) demonstrating that myocardial function, quantified by strain imaging, is improved in renal transplant recipients compared with ESRD patients
Cross-sectional data study therefore unable to determine what happens to patients with ESRD after transplant
Case-control study with 35 HD patients, 30 uremic nondialysis patients, 32 healthy volunteers
LV longitudinal, radial, and global strain values were significantly lower in the nondialysis patients compared with the other two groups (all ), indicating that reduced strain improves upon starting dialysis. 3D strain and regional longitudinal strain were reduced in HD patients compared to controls ()
The nondialysis group had a significantly lower haemoglobin level than the HD and control group. This could be a confounding factor
