BackgroundThere are scarce epidemiological data on cardiovascular risk profile of chronic
hemodialysis patients in Brazil.ObjectiveThe CORDIAL study was designed to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors and follow
up a hemodialysis population in a Brazilian metropolitan city.MethodsAll patients undergoing regular hemodialysis for chronic renal failure in all
fifteen nephrology centers of Porto Alegre were considered for inclusion in the
baseline phase of the CORDIAL study. Clinical, laboratory and demographic data
were obtained in medical records and in structured individual interviews performed
in all patients by trained researchers.ResultsA total of 1215 patients were included (97.3% of all hemodialysis patients in the
city of Porto Alegre). Their average age was 58.3 years old, 59.5% were male and
62.8% were white. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors observed was 87.5%
for hypertension, 84.7% for dyslipidemia, 73.1% for sedentary lifestyle, 53.7% for
tobacco use, and 35.8% for diabetes. In a multivariate adjusted analysis, we found
that sedentary lifestyle (p = 0.032, PR 1.08 - 95%CI: 1.01-1.15), dyslipidemia (p
= 0.019, PR 1.08 - 95%CI: 1.01-1.14), and obesity (p < 0.001, PR 1.96 - 95%CI:
1.45-2.63) were more frequent in women; and hypertension (p = 0.018, PR 1.06 -
95%CI: 1.01-1.11) and tobacco use (p = 0.006, PR 2.7 - 95%CI: 1.79-4.17) were more
often found among patients under 65 years old. Sedentary lifestyle was
independently associated with time in dialysis less than 12 months (p < 0.001,
PR 1.23 - 95% CI: 1.14-1.33).ConclusionHemodialysis patients in this southern metropolitan Brazilian city have a high
prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors resembling many northern countries.