Cited 21 times since 2009 (1.3 per year) source: EuropePMC European heart journal, Volume 30, Issue 13, 22 4 2009, Pages 1559-1564 The current status of interventions aiming at reducing sudden cardiac death in dialysis patients. de Bie MK, van Dam B, Gaasbeek A, van Buren M, van Erven L, Bax JJ, Schalij MJ, Rabelink TJ, Jukema JW
Mortality in dialysis patients is extremely high, with an annual death rate of approximately 23%. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the single largest cause of death in dialysis patients accounting for approximately 60% of all cardiac deaths and 25% of all-cause mortality. Interventions aiming at reducing cardiovascular mortality, especially SCD, in dialysis patients are therefore extremely important and clinically highly relevant. The purpose of this review is to give an outline of the epidemiology of SCD in dialysis patients and to provide a comprehensive overview of several interventional strategies (medical therapies, changing dialysis modality, and revascularization). Furthermore, it will discuss the current knowledge regarding the value of preventive implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation and address future implications of the interventional strategies mentioned.
