Influence of left ventricular preload reduction by hemodialysis on the Doppler-derived left ventricular filling profile

Hemodialysis caused an average 3.2-liter volume loss, but blood pressure and heart rate did not change significantly. Hemodialysis diminished the left atrial dimension (35±5 to 31±5 mm; p>0.001), indicating that it reduced left ventricular preload. These results indicate that the atrial contribution to ventricular filling was more effective afterwards than before hemodialysis and that under depressed left ventricular diastolic function, the atrial contribution decreased as preload increased further