Intradialytic Hypotension and Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

Patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD) have a high incidence of cardiac events, including arrhythmia and sudden death. Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a common complication of HD and is associated with development of reduced myocardial perfusion, a potential risk factor for arrhythmia.We analyzed data from the Monitoring in Dialysis study, which used implantable loop recorders to detect and continuously monitor electrocardiographic data from patients on maintenance HD (n=66 from the United States and India) over a 6-month period (n=4720 sessions). Negative binomial mixed effects regression was used to test the association of IDH20 (decline in systolic BP >20 mm Hg from predialysis systolic BP) and IDH0-20 (decline in systolic BP 0-20 mm Hg from predialysis systolic BP) with clinically significant arrhythmia (bradycardia≤40 bpm for ≥6 seconds, asystole≥3 seconds, ventricular tachycardia ≥130 bpm for ≥30 seconds, or patient-marked events) during HD.The median age of participants was 58 (25th-75th percentile, 49-66) years; 70% were male; and 65% were from the United States. IDH occurred in 2251 (48%) of the 4720 HD sessions analyzed, whereas IDH0-20 occurred during 1773 sessions (38%). The number of sessions complicated by least one intradialytic clinically significant arrhythmia was 27 (1.2%) where IDH20 occurred and 15 (0.8%) where IDH0-20 occurred. Participants who experienced IDH20 (versus not) had a nine-fold greater rate of developing an intradialytic clinically significant arrhythmia (incidence rate ratio, 9.4; 95% confidence interval, 3.0 to 29.4), whereas IDH0-20 was associated with a seven-fold higher rate (incidence rate ratio, 7.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 25.4).IDH is common in patients on maintenance HD and is associated with a greater risk of developing intradialytic clinically significant arrhythmia.