Lung ultrasound-guided dry-weight reduction and echocardiographic changes in clinically euvolemic hypertensive hemodialysis patients: 12-month results of a randomized controlled trial

Objective: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and dysfunction are highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients and are independently associated with adverse outcomes. This study examines the long-term effects of dry-weight reduction with a standardized lung ultrasound (LUS)-guided strategy on echocardiographic indexes of left ventricular (LV) mass and function in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Seventy-one clinically euvolemic hemodialysis patients with hypertension were randomized to dry-weight reduction guided by pre-hemodialysis LUS (n = 35) or standard-of-care treatment (n = 36) and were followed-up for 12 months. Two-dimensional and tissue-Doppler echocardiographies (TDI) were performed at the baseline and 12-month evaluations.

Results: During follow-up, dry-weight reduction took place in more patients in the active arm than in the control arm of the trial (71.4% vs 22.2%; p < 0.001). Left atrial (LA) surface (-1.37 ± 4.50 vs 1.28 ± 5.00 cm²; P = 0.006) and LA volume index (-3.22 ± 11.82 vs 4.76 ± 12.83 ml/m²; P = 0.009) decreased in the active and increased in the control group. LV end-diastolic volume (-0.94 ± 11.45 vs 6.58 ± 13.92 ml/m²; P = 0.015) decreased only in the active group. The LV mass index was unchanged in the active (134.21 ± 44.75 vs 133.57 ± 45.51; P = 0.844) and marginally increased in the control group (134.21 ± 40.96 vs 143.77 ± 50.04 g/m²; P = 0.089). The LV E/e' wave ratio was unchanged in the active (12.45 ± 4.69 vs 12.56 ± 4.89; P = 0.521) and increased in the usual-care group (10.91 ± 4.97 vs12.36 ± 6.43; P = 0.003). LV systolic function did not differ between the two study arms across the trial.

Conclusion: Over 12 months, LUS-guided dry-weight reduction is associated with reverse LV and LA remodeling, myocardial hypertrophy regression, and improved LV diastolic filling properties.