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In non-haemodialysis (HD) patients, increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness was significantly associated with adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. This study was designed to investigate whether EAT thickness was a useful parameter in the prediction of adverse CV events in HD patients. In addition, we also evaluated the major correlates of EAT thickness in these patients. In 189 routine HD patients, we performed a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examination with assessment of EAT thickness. The definition of CV events included CV death, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, peripheral artery disease, and hospitalization for heart failure. The follow-up period for CV events was 2.5 ± 0.7 years. Thirty-one CV events were documented. The multivariable analysis demonstrated that older age, smoking status, the presence of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, and low albumin levels were independently correlated with adverse CV events. However, increased EAT thickness was not associated with adverse CV events (P = 0.631). Additionally, older age, female sex, low haemoglobin, and low early diastolic mitral annular velocity were correlated with high EAT thickness in the univariable analysis. In the multivariable analysis, older age and female sex were still correlated with high EAT thickness. In conclusion, high EAT thickness was associated with older age and female sex in the multivariable analysis in our HD patients. However, EAT thickness was not helpful in predicting adverse CV events in such patients. Further large-scale studies are necessary to verify this finding.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of renal systolic time intervals measured by electrocardiographic gated Doppler ultrasonography for predicting adverse cardiac events. This longitudinal observation study enrolled 205 patients. Renal systolic time intervals, including pre-ejection period (PEP) and ejection time (ET), and ratio of renal PEP to ET, were measured by electrocardiographic gated Doppler ultrasound. The 14 adverse cardiac events identified in this population included 9 cardiac deaths and 5 hospitalizations for heart failure during an average follow up of 30.9 months (25th–75th percentile: 30–33 months). Renal PEP (hazard ratio = 1.023, P = 0.001), renal ET (hazard ratio = 0.975, P = 0.001) and renal PEP/ET (per 0.01 unit increase, hazard ratio = 1.060, P

The aims of this study were to investigate the correlation between renal and cardiac STIs, including pre-ejection period (PEP), ejection time (ET), and PEP/ET, and to assess the diagnostic values of renal STIs in predicting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 0.46 in prediction of LVEF