Authors: Culleton BF, Asola MR
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a significant global health problem that places a considerable burden on health care resources. The leading cause of death in ESRD patients is cardiovascular disease, which is often preceded by changes in cardiac geometry, including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Treatments that result in regression of LVH have been shown to lead to better clinical outcomes. Globally, most ESRD patients receive conventional hemodialysis (CHD) 3 times per week, but mortality rates remain high and quality of life (QoL) is poor. Increasing the frequency of HD to 5 or 6 times per week, either as short daily HD (SDHD) or nocturnal HD (NHD), can improve QoL, reduce cardiovascular risk and prolong survival, compared with CHD. Improvements i...