Magdalene M Assimon1, M Alan Brookhart2, Jennifer E Flythe3,4. 1. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina Kidney Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; massimon@med.unc.edu. 2. Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Heath, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and. 3. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina Kidney Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 4. Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals receiving maintenance hemodialysis may be particularly susceptible to the lethal cardiac consequences of drug-induced QT prolongation because they have a substantial cardiovascular disease burden and high level of polypharmacy, as well as recurrent exposure to electrolyte shifts during dialysis. Electrophysiologic data indicate that among the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), citalopram and escitalopram prolong the QT interval to the greatest extent. However, the relative cardiac safety of SSRIs in the hemodialysis population is unknown. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries receiving hemodialysis included in the US Renal Data System registry (2007-2014). We used a new-user design to compare the 1-year risk of sudden cardiac death among hemodialysis patients initiating SSRIs with a higher potential for prolonging the QT interval (citalopram, escitalopram) versus the risk among those initiating SSRIs with lower QT-prolonging potential (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline). We estimated adjusted hazard ratios using inverse probability of treatment weighted survival models. Nonsudden cardiac death was treated as a competing event. RESULTS: The study included 30,932 (47.1%) hemodialysis patients who initiated SSRIs with higher QT-prolonging potential and 34,722 (52.9%) who initiated SSRIs with lower QT-prolonging potential. Initiation of an SSRI with higher versus lower QT-prolonging potential was associated with higher risk of sudden cardiac death (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.31). This association was more pronounced among elderly individuals, females, patients with conduction disorders, and those treated with other non-SSRI QT-prolonging medications. CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneous QT-prolonging potential of SSRIs may differentially affect cardiac outcomes in the hemodialysis population.
BACKGROUND: Individuals receiving maintenance hemodialysis may be particularly susceptible to the lethal cardiac consequences of drug-induced QT prolongation because they have a substantial cardiovascular disease burden and high level of polypharmacy, as well as recurrent exposure to electrolyte shifts during dialysis. Electrophysiologic data indicate that among the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), citalopram and escitalopram prolong the QT interval to the greatest extent. However, the relative cardiac safety of SSRIs in the hemodialysis population is unknown. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries receiving hemodialysis included in the US Renal Data System registry (2007-2014). We used a new-user design to compare the 1-year risk of sudden cardiac death among hemodialysis patients initiating SSRIs with a higher potential for prolonging the QT interval (citalopram, escitalopram) versus the risk among those initiating SSRIs with lower QT-prolonging potential (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline). We estimated adjusted hazard ratios using inverse probability of treatment weighted survival models. Nonsudden cardiac death was treated as a competing event. RESULTS: The study included 30,932 (47.1%) hemodialysis patients who initiated SSRIs with higher QT-prolonging potential and 34,722 (52.9%) who initiated SSRIs with lower QT-prolonging potential. Initiation of an SSRI with higher versus lower QT-prolonging potential was associated with higher risk of sudden cardiac death (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.31). This association was more pronounced among elderly individuals, females, patients with conduction disorders, and those treated with other non-SSRI QT-prolonging medications. CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneous QT-prolonging potential of SSRIs may differentially affect cardiac outcomes in the hemodialysis population.
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Authors: Eric J Lenze; Caline Mattar; Charles F Zorumski; Angela Stevens; Julie Schweiger; Ginger E Nicol; J Philip Miller; Lei Yang; Michael Yingling; Michael S Avidan; Angela M Reiersen Journal: JAMA Date: 2020-12-08 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Magdalene M Assimon; Lily Wang; Patrick H Pun; Wolfgang C Winkelmayer; Jennifer E Flythe Journal: J Am Heart Assoc Date: 2020-06-24 Impact factor: 5.501