INFLUENCE OF SERUM MAGNESIUM LEVEL ON VASCULAR STIFFNESS IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE ON REGULAR HEMODIALYSIS

Abstract

C ardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Vascular calcification (VC) is an important factor in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Earlier evidence revealed substantially higher prevalence of VC in the first decade of life in CKD patients compared to the general population in the same age range, indicating the influence of CKD-related risk factors on the development of VC. The aim of this work was to assess the relationship between serum magnesium levels, and vascular stiffness in children with CKD on regular hemodialysis. The present study was carried out on 50 children, 25 of them with CKD on regular hemodialysis for 4 hours/setting, 3 times weekly and 25 apparently healthy children age and sex matched to the patients (control). All of them were selected from the nephrology unit of Al-Zahraa hospital, Al-Azhar University.