Hemodialysis and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
Kemal Mağden1
, Nart Zafer Baytugan2
1Department of Cardiology, Gebze Fatih State Hospital, Kocaeli, Türkiye
2Department of Nephrology, Gebze Fatih State Hospital, Kocaeli, Türkiye
Keywords: Arrhythmias; end-stage renal disease; hemodialysis; sudden cardiac death.
Abstract
Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global health concern affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Cardiac arrhythmias are highly prevalent in CKD patients, with sudden cardiac death (SCD) representing a substantial cause of mortality, accounting for approximately 25% of all deaths in this patient group. Our hypothesis was that hemodialysis (HD) patients have an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and SCD.
Methods: This single-center observational study enrolled 219 participants: 109 patients undergoing HD and 110 in the control group. A 12-lead resting electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed before and after dialysis in all patients on HD and once in the control groups.
Results: The T peak-T end (Tp-e) interval duration (p=0.001), Tp-e/QT ratio (p=0.001), and Tp-e/corrected QT (QTc) ratio (p=0.001) were significantly higher in the HD patients than in the control group. There was no significant difference in Tp-e dispersion (p=0.806) between the groups. Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between parathyroid hormone levels and the Tp-e interval (p=0.001), Tp-e/ QT ratio (p=0.017), Tp-e/QTc ratio (p=0.006), and QTc interval (p=0.020) in HD patients. QT, QTc, and Tp-e durations, as well as QT/QRS, QTc/QRS, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QT ratios, were found to be higher in post-dialysis ECGs than in pre-dialysis ECGs.
Conclusion: The resting ECG findings were analyzed in patients with HD and a predisposition to arrhythmias, and SCD was identified in this cohort.
Cite This Article: Mağden K, Baytugan NZ. Hemodialysis and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death. Koşuyolu Heart J 2025;28(2):47–53
The study was approved by the Kocaeli City Hospital Scientific Research Ethics Committee (no: 2024–124, date: 14/11/2024).
Informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Externally peer-reviewed.
Concept – N.Z.B., K.M.; Design – N.Z.B.; Supervision – K.M.; Resource – N.Z.B., K.M.; Materials – K.M.; Data collection and/ or processing – K.M.; Data analysis and/or interpretation – N.Z.B.; Literature search – N.Z.B.; Writing – N.Z.B.; Critical review – K.M.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
No AI technologies utilized.
The authors declared that this study received no financial support.