Effects of stroke on changes in heart rate variability during hemodialysis.

HRV in hemodialysis patients is lower than in the general population. Increase in △HRV was observed in hemodialysis patients without stroke but not in stroke patients. This result suggests suppressed autonomic nervous reactions against volume unloading during hemodialysis, which might contribute to unfavorable outcomes in hemodialysis patients but even more so in those with prior stroke. Nephrologists should notice the importance of △HRV especially in high-risk patients.