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Shorter, daily dialysis reduces need for blood pressure medication


June 9, 2014

A clinical trial led by Drs. Deb Zimmerman and Kevin Burns shows that fewer medications are needed to control blood pressure just as effectively when patients undergo daily two-hour hemodialysis sessions. The conventional treatment is three times a week for four-hours. More than 80% of patients on dialysis have high blood pressure and more than half of patients with end-stage kidney disease die from cardiovascular disease, for which high blood pressure is a leading risk factor. Determining what mechanisms are at work in reducing the need for blood pressure medication requires further study. Read the Plos One paper.

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Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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