We conclude that the incidence of IHD in men undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease was not greater than that seem in a nondialysis population of men with similar risk factors. In contrast, we found the rate of IHD in women with end-stage renal disease to be accelerated when compared to similar nondialysis subjects. Our data also suggest that during the 6 yrs of hemodialysis, ischemic heart disease did not represent a major mortality risk in patients who had not had symptoms of IHD prior to therapy although it dose pose a significant mortality risk in patients with evidence of established coronary artery disease prior to the onset of dialysis.