Lipid Abnormalities in Hemodialysis Patients

Approximately 50% of hemodialysis (HD) patients die from cardiovascular events. One of the main risk factors for cardiovascular events is hyperlipidemia. Progressive renal failure is associated with lipoprotein abnormalities and dyslipidemia. However, dyslipidemia may not appear as hyperlipidemia (a rise in plasma cholesterol and/or low-density lipoprotein (LDL)) in the majority of HD patients. Uremic dyslipidemia has an abnormal apolipoprotein profile and composition. It is characterized by reduced concentrations of apo A-containing lipoproteins in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and increased concentrations of intact or par‐ tially metabolized triglyceride-rich apo B-containing lipoproteins in very-low-density lipo‐ protein (VLDL), intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) and LDL.