Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35793567›Full record

ArticleNephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association2022

The modifying effect of the serum-to-dialysate potassium gradient on the cardiovascular safety of SSRIs in the hemodialysis population: a pharmacoepidemiologic study.

Magdalene M Assimon, Patrick H Pun, Sana M Al-Khatib, Maurice Alan Brookhart, Bradley N Gaynes, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer, Jennifer E Flythe

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. QT-prolonging medications: prevalence of use and associated risks in CKD.Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Magdalene M AssimonUniversity of North Carolina Kidney Center , Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Patrick H PunDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Sana M Al-KhatibDuke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
Maurice Alan BrookhartDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Bradley N GaynesDepartment of Psychiatry, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Wolfgang C WinkelmayerSelzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Jennifer E FlytheUniversity of North Carolina Kidney Center , Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Clinical Research Institute · USUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · USBaylor College of Medicine · USDuke University · USUniversity of North Carolina Health Care · US

Funding

QT prolonging medications and sudden cardiac death among individuals on hemodialysisR01HL152034 · NHLBI · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI FLYTHE, JENNIFER E · 2020 to 2024
$2.8M
Investigating the comparative cardiac safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the hemodialysis populationR03HS026801 · AHRQ · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI ASSIMON, MAGDALENE MARIE · 2019 to 2020
$99k
AHRQ HHS R03 HS026801NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL152034
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHypokalemia is a risk factor for drug-induced QT prolongation. Larger serum-to-dialysate potassium gradients during hemodialysis (HD) may augment the proarrhythmic risks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

methodsWe conducted a cohort study using 2007-2017 data from the United States Renal Data System and a large dialysis provider to examine if the serum-to-dialysate potassium gradient modifies SSRI cardiac safety. Using a new-user design, we compared 1-year sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk among HD patients newly treated with higher (citalopram, escitalopram) versus lower (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline) QT-prolonging potential SSRIs, overall and stratified by baseline potassium gradient (≥4 versus <4 mEq/l). We used inverse probability of treatment-weighted survival models to estimate weighted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and conducted a confirmatory nested case-control study.

resultsThe study included 25 099 patients: 11 107 (44.3%) higher QT-prolonging potential SSRI new users and 13 992 (55.7%) lower QT-prolonging potential SSRI new users. Overall, higher versus lower QT-prolonging potential SSRI use was not associated with SCD [weighted HR 1.03 (95% CI 0.86-1.24)]. However, a greater risk of SCD was associated with higher versus lower QT-prolonging potential SSRI use among patients with baseline potassium gradients ≥4 mEq/l but not among those with gradients <4 mEq/l [weighted HR 2.17 (95% CI 1.16-4.03) versus 0.95 (0.78-1.16)]. Nested case-control analyses yielded analogous results.

conclusionsThe serum-to-dialysate potassium gradient may modify the association between higher versus lower QT-prolonging SSRI use and SCD among people receiving HD. Minimizing the potassium gradient in the setting of QT-prolonging medication use may be warranted.

Indexed as

Dialysis SolutionsSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsCase-Control StudiesCitalopramCohort StudiesDeath, Sudden, CardiacFluoxetineFluvoxamineHumansParoxetinePotassiumRenal DialysisSertralineUnited StatesCitalopramDialysis SolutionsFluoxetineFluvoxamineParoxetinePotassiumSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsSertralinehemodialysispotassium gradientSSRIsudden cardiac deathUSRDS

Identifiers

PMID35793567
PMCPMC9585464
OpenAlexW4284880215

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.