Volume is not the only key to hypertension control in dialysis patients.

Abstract

There is a widely held belief that hypervolaemia due to excess intake or inadequate removal of salt and water is the principal cause of hypertension in dialysis patients. The risk of failing to consider additional pathophysiological elements is that inadequate or inappropriate therapeutic strategies may be adopted. This review aims to highlight multiple alternative mechanisms for hypertension in this setting along with the risks of probing for normotension by empirical dry weight reduction if dry weight is imprecisely defined.