Bleeding and Thrombotic Events in Hemodialysis Patients with Atrial Fibrillation on Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapy: A 24-Month Cohort Study

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 60; no. 11; p. 1760
• Main Authors: Dimitrijevic, Zorica M., Mitic, Branka P., Tasic, Danijela D., Vrecic, Tamara, Paunovic, Karolina, Salinger, Sonja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 27-10-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Anticoagulants; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cohort analysis; Combination therapy; Contraindications; Disease; Drug dosages; Hemodialysis; Hospitals; Ischemia; Patients; Stroke; Thromboembolism; Thrombosis; Ultrasonic imaging
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina60111760

Background and Objectives: Patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) are predisposed to both thrombotic and bleeding complications due to the complex interplay of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cardiovascular comorbidities, and the routine use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of bleeding and thrombotic events in chronic HD patients receiving anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy, with a specific focus on those with atrial fibrillation (AF). Materials and Methods: A total of 224 patients, with 43 (19%) of them diagnosed with AF, were included in this single-center, observational cohort study conducted over 24 months. The cohort was divided into three groups: patients without anticoagulation, those on warfarin monotherapy, and those on combined warfarin and aspirin therapy. Bleeding events were classified as major, clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB), or minor bleeding, while thrombotic events included ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and arteriovenous fistula thrombosis. Results: Overall, 35.7% of patients experienced a bleeding event, with major bleeding occurring in 9.4%. Patients with AF had significantly higher rates of major bleeding (18.6%) compared to those without AF (7.18%; p = 0.043), especially in the combined therapy group. Mortality due to bleeding was also higher in AF patients (14%). In contrast, thrombotic events occurred in 26.8% of patients, with AF patients experiencing significantly more events (48.8%) compared to non-AF patients (21.5%; p = 0.0006). The hazard ratio (HR) for major bleeding in patients on combined warfarin and aspirin therapy was 2.56 (p = 0.016), while the HR for thrombotic events was 2.34 (p = 0.0202). Conclusions: These findings highlight the increased risks of both bleeding and thrombosis in chronic HD patients with AF, particularly those on combined anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy.