Blood Pressure Drug Aids Dialysis Patients

Studies show that midodrine hydrocloride, used to treat low blood pressure, can also help kidney disease patients avoid some of the serious side effects of dialysis. Conducted by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT, USA), the studies were presented at the annual meeting of the National Kidney Foundation in Orlando (FL, USA).

Between dialysis sessions, patients accumulate excess fluids, but after the fluids are removed, the vessels are unable to constrict and return blood to the heart, causing intradialytic hypotension (IDH). Affecting 20-50% of dialysis patients, the condition can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and even life-threatening symptoms such as abnormal heart rhythms and diminished blood supply to the heart and brain. Such side effects often cause patients to stop treatments. Most medications used to treat IDH have been only modestly effective or poorly tolerated.

Midodrine works by stimulating nerve endings in the blood vessels, causing them to constrict and increase blood pressure. Studies show that the drug was well tolerated by patients and was found effective even in patients with IDH who were resistant to other therapies as well as in elderly and diabetic patients.

"The complications of IDH take a substantial toll on patients' health and quality of life, which can force them to discontinue dialysis in the middle of their treatment,” said Mark Perazella, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, who made the presentation. "This can increase the risk of infections and prolonged bleedings, and can even cause premature death.”




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