Objective: Cardiovascular events and mortality rates are high in patients with chronic renal failure who are undergoing hemodialysis treatment. It is important to distinguish patients with higher mortality risk. Dyslipidemia was more frequently reported in hemodialysis patients. There are inconsistent results between cholesterol levels and mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The aim of this study is to inspect associations between mortality rate and mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with 506 patients undergoing hemodialysis retrospectively, between January 2015 and December 2019. All patients following hemodialysis program were monitored, and the data for lipid levels for 6 months periods, were recorded until death or study end date. Patients below 18 and patients who were on hemodialysis for less than 60 days were excluded.
Results: Of 506 total participants, 288 (56.9%) survived. Mean follow-up period was 31.7 months. High density and low density lipoproteins, triglyceride, total cholesterol levels, lipid lowering drugs usage were significantly higher, but the duration on hemodialysis was significantly lower in surviving patients. In regression analysis; age, systolic blood pressure and treatment with erythropoietin were found to be related with mortality.
Conclusion: In patients ongoing hemodialysis, decreases in mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increase mortality risk. Antihyperlipidemic drugs decrease mortality risk. Lowering lipid levels below safe levels may increase mortality risk, because of this, target lipid levels for hemodialysis patients must be determined sparely.