Aldosterone is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in hemodialysis patients

Objectives:Patients with chronic kidney disease present a higher degree of left ventricular hypertrophy than expected for hypertension levels. In chronic kidney disease the plot between the quotient extracellular water/total body water and aldosterone is shifted up and to the right. There are few studies that verified the role of aldosterone in cardiac remodeling in this set of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum aldosterone and left ventricular mass index in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis.Methods:The patients were submitted to clinical and laboratory evaluation, bioelectrical impedance, echocardiography and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The 27 patients included were divided into two groups according to aldosterone level and compared with each other.Results:The group of patients with higher aldosterone levels had higher left ventricular mass index. These groups were heterogeneous with regard to ambulatory systolic blood pressure, bod...