Table 5.
Factors significantly associated with survival over the first year of dialysis
| Variable | Survival >1 yr | Survival <1 yr | Odds Ratio | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of patients | 28 | 7 | - | - |
| AL amyloidosis (%) | 11 (37.5) | 7 (100) | ND | < 0.01 |
| Cardiac amyloidosis (%) | 7 (21.9) | 6 (85.7) | 18 | < 0.01 |
| Clinical symptoms of heart failure (%) | 4 (12.5) | 4 (57.1) | 8 | < 0.04 |
| Diagnosis to dialysis (months) | 56 ± 19.5 | 6.1 ± 4.7 | - | < 0.03 |
Cardiac amyloidosis was detected by the mean of echocardiography, in the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy and/or septal thickening in a patient without increased left ventricular load. One patient with AA amyloidosis had atypical features of dilated cardiopathy. Patients with clinical symptoms of heart failure had important peripheral edema and exercise dyspnea, causing marked limitation of physical activity. The odds ratio was nondefinable for AL amyloidosis because no patient with AA type died during the first year on dialysis. The presence of clinical symptoms of heart failure was also significantly associated with death during the first year on dialysis in patients with AL amyloidosis (odds ratio = 13.3, P < 0.05).