[Cardiologic management in patients on a long-term dialysis program].

Cardiovascular complications are the main cause of mortality in patients with chronic renal failure. Hypertension and lipid abnormalities which often lead to left ventricular hypertrophy and accelerated atherosclerosis as well as coronary artery disease are a common cause of death. On the other hand uremia often causes pericarditis and thereby may lead to cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis. Renal failure can also cause secondary hyperparathyroidism, amyloidosis, hemosiderosis and oxalosis which can produce visceral infiltrations and lead to a variety of disturbances of cardiovascular functions. Life-threatening arrhythmias are one of the major cardiovascular complications during maintenance dialysis as their occurrence might result in sudden death. The aim of cardiologic management which includes the complex of preventive and therapeutic measures is to reduce the morbidity and mortality and to improve the quality of life.