A Systematic Review of the Incidence of Arrhythmias in Hemodialysis Patients Undergoing Long-Term Monitoring With Implantable Loop Recorders
Paul R. Roberts, Kurt Stromberg, Lawrence C. Johnson, Benedict M. Wiles, Thomas A. Mavrakanas, David M. Charytan
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Establishing the frequency and nature of arrhythmias in hemodialysis (HD) is an important step in improving outcomes of these patients. We undertook this systematic review and meta-analysis to characterize arrhythmia frequency in maintenance HD patients. METHODS: statistic was used to quantify heterogeneity. RESULTS: < 0.001) than the rate of bradycardia/asystole reported in the same patients. Incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) varied significantly across the studies (from 0.07 to 0.83 patients per year) reflecting variable definitions (new-onset vs. total number of episodes). CONCLUSION: The incidence of arrhythmias among chronic HD patients is high, with bradycardia/asystole occurring more frequently than ventricular arrhythmias. Additional studies to refine estimates particularly of AF are needed.