Echocardiography in patients with chronic kidney diseases

Abstract Vast majority of chronic kidney disease patients die from cardiovascular complications. Echocardiography is a fundamental method, which reveals many of them. They include especially dilatation and systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle and atrium, left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle, heart calcification, which could lead up to the development of stenotic valvular disease, right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Patients with chronic kidney failure differ from the general population by cyclic changes of hydration and by the presence of a low resistant arteriovenous shunt (hemodialysis access). These factors significantly affect the actual echocardiographic finding.