Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Arterial stiffening is recognised as a critical precursor of cardiovascular disease. Available evidence indicates that lifestyle modifications are therapeutic interventions for preventing and treating arterial stiffening.
Objective: To evaluate the influence of lifestyle modifications on the arterial vessel compliance in CKD patients not receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT). We measured the arterial vessel compliance in 50 CKD patients not receiving RRT (30 post-transplant, 20 pre-RRT). Noninvasive pulse wave analysis of radial artery was used to estimate large artery (C1) and small artery elasticity (C2) and was corrected for patients age. Renal transplant (RT) patients were younger than CKD patients. RT patients C1 normal in 13%. C2 lower than normal in 77% of cases and not associated with evaluated variables, but worse large artery compliance was observed. In CKD patients, C1 was normal in 55%. C1 was strongly associated with aerobic exercise. For CKD patients, exercise normalises large artery compliance. C2 was lower than normal in 90%. Small artery compliance was affected in majority of patients.