Relationship between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and prognosis in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (Cf-PWV) can well predict the prognosis of the general population. However, whether Cf-PWV can be used as a prognostic indicator in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients remains mysterious. The present study endeavored to explore the prognostic value of Cf-PWV among the MHD population. Patients who received MHD and underwent Cf-PWV examination at the hemodialysis center of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between March 1, 2017 and October 15, 2019 were enrolled. Relevant clinical data were collected from these patients, who were subsequently followed up for a minimum of 1 year. During the follow-up period, the occurrence of all-cause death was recorded as a prognostic indicator. Based on the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria 178 patients were included in the final analysis. These patients were categorized into 2 groups based on Cf-PWV values: group 1 (Cf-PWV < 13.8 m/s), and group 2 (Cf-PWV ≥ 13.8 m/s). Thirty-four patients succumbed to their conditions within a median follow-up period of 23.3 months. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the median survival time of group 2 was significantly shorter than group 1 (log-rank test, χ2 = 12.413, P < .001). After adjusting for various factors, including age, cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial diastolic pressure, central arterial diastolic pressure, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, left ventricular ejection fraction, 25 hydroxyvitamin D3, C-reactive protein and serum phosphorus, it was found that Cf-PWV ≥ 13.8m/s was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in MHD patients (relative risk = 3.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22-7.57; P = .017). A high level of Cf-PWV (≥13.8 m/s) is an independent risk factor for all-cause death in MHD patients.