Why PKD Patients on Dialysis Have Hypotension?

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a genetic disease. Without effective prevention, the patients’ renal function will decline with age. Therefore, with their Renal Failure, many patients have to depend on dialysis. However, PKD patients on dialysis often have Hypotension. Then, what is the cause of their Hypotension? As follows:

Hypotension is a common complication among patients on dialysis and its incidence can reach 25~30%. There are several reasons for Hypotension. First: hypovolemia. Many patients with Renal Failure often have poor appetite and intestines problem such as vomit, nausea, it can cause the insufficient nutrition intake thus causing hypovolemia. Second: Usually, the patients with Renal Failure have Hypertension. The blood pressure medicines that they take, especially
vasodilators can dilate their peripheral vascular. Third: Sometimes, the ultrafiltration volume is too high, which can cause the patients’ body weight to decrease by more than 5% of the body weight before dialysis. Moreover, sometimes the dehydration speed is too fast, it also may cause Hypotension. Fourth: In some cases, Hypotension can be caused by dislysate. If the patients often use dislysate with low sodium, it can cause sodium content in blood and plasma osmolality to decrease. Moreover, sodium acetate in the dislysate can dilate blood vessels and make their cardiaccontractility to decline. Fifth: Automatic disorders are also an important cause of Hypotension. During dialysis process, the parents often have premonitory symptoms such as vomit, nausea, cold sweat, fatigue, increased heart rate and so on. If the patients have the above symptoms, they are very likely to have Hypotension. However, some patients do not have premonitory symptoms at all and their blood pressure may drop suddenly. Therefore, the patients on dialysis must monitor their blood pressure regularly so as to find Hypotension in the first time.


Hypotension can do much harm to patients on dialysis. Therefore, it is very important for them to monitor their blood pressure closely so as to find their Hypotension in the first time.