Risks of Death and Stroke in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis with New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: A Competing-Risk Analysis of a Nationwide Cohort

Chia Jen Shih, Shuo Ming Ou, Pei Wen Chao, Shu Chen Kuo, Yi Jung Lee, Chih Yu Yang, Der Cherng Tarng, Chih Ching Lin, Po Hsun Huang, Szu Yuan Li, Yung Tai Chen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

70 Scopus citations

Abstract

Whether oral anticoagulant use should be considered in patients undergoing hemodialysis with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial because of the uncertainty regarding risk-benefit assessments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of ischemic stroke in patients undergoing hemodialysis with new-onset AF, in comparison with those without arrhythmia. Methods and Results-This nationwide, population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database during 1998 to 2011 for patients on hemodialysis with new-onset nonvalvular AF and matched subjects without arrhythmia. The clinical end points were ischemic stroke (fatal or nonfatal), all-cause death, and other serious adverse cardiovascular events. In comparison with the matched cohort, patients with AF (n=6772) had higher risks of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.43), all-cause death (aHR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.52-1.67), in-hospital cardiovascular death (aHR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.71-1.94), myocardial infarction (aHR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.17-1.51), and hospitalization for heart failure (aHR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.76-2.05). After considering in-hospital death as a competing risk, AF significantly increased the risk of heart failure (HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.45-1.68), but not those of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction. Additionally, the predictive value of the CHA2DS2-VASc score for ischemic stroke was diminished in the competing-risk model. Conclusions-The risk of stroke was only modestly higher in patients undergoing hemodialysis with new-onset AF than in those without AF, and it became insignificant when accounting for the competing risk of in-hospital death.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)265-272
Number of pages8
JournalCirculation
Volume133
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 19 Jan 2016

Keywords

  • Atrial fibrillation
  • death
  • dialysis
  • epidemiology
  • risk
  • stroke

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Risks of Death and Stroke in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis with New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: A Competing-Risk Analysis of a Nationwide Cohort'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this