SALT AND WATER IN PD: THE TURKISH CONTRIBUTION

It is now well accepted that fluid and salt balance playa critical role in the success of peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy. The combination of fluid overload and hyper-tension can be a major factor in the development of car-diovascular disease, the leading cause of death in PD patients. Inadequate removal of fluid and sodium in PD is associated with increased mortality. There is growing evidence that PD patients are often volume expanded and have high blood pressure associated with left ven-tricular hypertrophy (LVH) and dysfunction. Improve-ment in fluid status may be achieved by rigorous salt restriction and optimization of peritoneal ultrafiltration. In this article and in light of relevant Turkish studies, evidence on the importance of fluid and sodium balance is summarized, and potential strategies for a better con-trol of that balance in PD patients is outlined