**1. Introduction**

264 Progress in Hemodialysis – From Emergent Biotechnology to Clinical Practice

Yavuz A, Ersoy FF, Passadakis PS, Tam P, Evaggelos DM, Katopodis KP, Ozener C, Akçiçek

pp. S152-158

F, Camsari T, Ateş K, Ataman R, Vlachojannis GJ, Dombros NA, Utaş C, Akpolat T, Bozfakioğlu S, Wu G, Karayaylali I, Arinsoy T, Stathakis CP, Yavuz M, Tsakiris DJ, Dimitriades AC, Yilmaz ME, Gültekin M, Süleymanlar G & Oreopoulos DG. Phosphorus control in peritoneal dialysis patients. *Kidney Int Suppl*, Vol.108, (2008),

> Since 1970s several studies have shown a significant prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among patients with end-stage renal disease (Linder et al., 1974). Among patients treated by hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, the prevalence of CVD is approximately 40%. Even after stratification by age, sex, race, and diabetes, CVD mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is 10 to 20 times higher than in the general population (Foley et al., 1998). End-stage-renal-disease patients often have a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipemia. Nevertheless, previous studies have shown that the high prevalence of CVD in hemodialysis patients is only partly explained by traditional risk factors (Cheung et al., 2000). Non-traditional risk factors have been emerged in the last decade. One of this non-traditional risk factor is C-reactive protein (CRP).

> In this chapter, it is tried to explain the results of several studies supporting an association between inflammation (measured by high levels of CRP), left-ventricular dysfunction and volume overload among patients with CKD and how volume overload, which is present at the very early stages of CKD, could be the main underlying factor contributing to the worse CV prognosis among these patients.
