Heart Rhythm Disorder and Its Impact on Chronic Kidney Disease

Latest research shows that people suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with underlying Atrial Fibrillation (AF) are at the greater risk of kidney failure.
Atrial Fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat also called as cardiac arrhythmia. Irregular heart beat is commonly found in people with a high blood pressure. Although this condition itself may not be fatal but increases the risk of stroke and several other diseases, and might even cause death.
The researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Kaiser Permanente Northern   California Division of Research studied 206,229 chronic kidney disease patients, for about five years. The findings revealed that nearly 16,400 patients developed atrial fibrillation, out of which 67 per cent are more likely to develop an end stage renal disease progressively and ultimate kidney failure when compared to those who did not develop atrial fibrillation.

The patients’   with prolonged chronic kidney disease, which progresses into end-stage renal disease will normally require regular dialysis or kidney transplant for their survival. A substantial proportion of people are affected worldwide with ESRD and atrial fibrillation together. The previous date from United States Renal Data System (USRDS) showed that patients suffering from ESRD with atrial fibrillation have a yearly mortality rate of 5 per cent where as those without it has only 2 per cent. Though the data shows that there is a noticeable effect of AT on CKD, it requires further research to find out the underlying reason for the effect and appropriate guidelines for the treatment of such patients.