Background: Cardiovascular complications are the leading causes of premature deaths in hemodialysis patients. Due to rapid changes in volume and electrolyte concentration following dialysis, the some electrocardiographic (ECG) changes or arrhythmias might be seen.Objective: To investigate the acute effects of hemodialysis on the ECG parameters in patients with chronic end‐stage renal disease (ESRD).Method: We included the consecutive ESRD patients who underwent a hemodialysis. Before and after hemodialysis, some 12 lead ECG parameters were analyzed by two different cardiologists by using electronic digital caliper device.Results: A total of 62 patients (mean 52 ± 15 years; 65% male) with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis were recruited to the study. P‐wave amplitude, QRS amplitude, QRS duration, QTc dispersion, the sum of amplitudes in V1S + V5R derivations, total QRS amplitude, and duration were significantly greater in posthemodialysis patients compared to the prehemodialysis ones. However, T‐wave amplitude and QTc duration were significantly lower in posthemodialysis patients.Conclusion: The ECG changes including prolangated QRS and increased QTc interval after hemodialysis should be kept in mind and assessed carefully in ESRD patients. Prolongation of these parameters may prove to be a further noninvasive marker of susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias.

Atherosclerosis is a dynamic process in the human body. Many studies have evaluated atherosclerosis and its relationship with other systems in the body. Our perception of its pathogenesis is evolving with the introduction of new players in the game. It is no longer possible to consider the atherosclerosis as an independent process, unaffected by the liver and its function. Although several tasks performed by the liver, such as lipid metabolism, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the role of other disorders of the liver (autoimmune diseases, viral hepatitis, and cirrhosis) are not fully understood. In this review, the most commonly encountered inflammatory liver diseases and their effects on atherosclerosis are discussed.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV) and the presence and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients who underwent coronary angiography for stable chest pain. A total of 540 patients (350 male, 190 female; mean age: 59.6±11.4 years) were consecutively included in the study. The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence and extent of their CAD as follows: Group 1 - patients with no significant CAD, group 2 - one vessel disease, group 3 - two vessel diseases, and group 4 - three vessel disease. Also, the Gensini score of each coronary angiogram was calculated. There were 159 patients in group 1, 169 in group 2, 110 in group 3, and 102 in group 4. As expected, we found significant differences among the groups regarding mean age and other coronary risk factors including gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and family history of ischemic heart disease. However, there were no significant differences among the groups regarding platelet counts and MPV values (8.5±0.1 fl, 8.5±1.2 fl, 8.6±0.9 fl and 8.6±0.9 fl, MPV values of groups 1-4, respectively). Although the Gensini score was found to be significantly correlated with age, plasma uric acid level, white blood cell count, hemoglobin level, fasting blood glucose, and high density lipoprotein level, no significant association was detected between MPV and Gensini score values. This study is one of the largest studies assessing the relationship between MPV and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with stable CAD to date. However, we found no association between MPV and the presence and extent of coronary atherosclerosis.

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Nighttime blood pressure (BP) decreases have prognostic significance owing to circadian patterns. The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has rapidly increased in recent years. We aimed to investigate circadian blood pressure changes in patients with NAFLD. The present study included 114 patients diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and no previous hypertension diagnosis. Thirty patients comprised the control group (no hepatosteatosis and no hypertension). The patients were divided into 3 groups based on nocturnal BP dipping. Blood pressure patterns using night–day ratios were classified as dipper (ratio ≤ 0, 9), nondipper (0, 9 < ratio ≤ 1, 0), or nocturnal hypertension (ratio > 1, 0). There were no significant differences in sex, age, presence of diabetes, or biochemical test results between the groups. According to the blood pressure pattern, the nondipper rate in the hepatosteatosis group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Patients were compared in terms of the presence and severity of hepatosteatosis according to night blood pressure patterns. A significant difference was observed between the groups (P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). We found an association between hepatosteatosis severity and night blood pressure patterns. Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have a higher incidence of nocturnal hypertension. We observed impaired circadian blood pressure changes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.