Comparative Cardiac Safety of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors among Individuals Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Assimon Magdalene M. , Brookhart M. Alan , Flythe Jennifer E. 
Published: March 2019

Significance Statement

Patients on hemodialysis may be particularly susceptible to the lethal cardiac consequences of drug-induced QT prolongation because they generally have a substantial cardiovascular disease burden and high level of polypharmacy, and are recurrently exposed to electrolyte shifts during dialysis. Electrophysiologic data indicate that among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), citalopram and escitalopram prolong the QT interval to the greatest extent. In a cohort of 65,654 hemodialysis patients, individuals receiving SSRIs with higher (citalopram, escitalopram) versus lower (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline) potential to prolong the QT interval had a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. This risk was more pronounced among elderly individuals, females, those with conduction disorders, and those taking other non-SSRI QT-prolonging medications. When prescribing SSRIs to patients on hemodialysis, clinicians should consider the QT-prolonging potential of these agents.

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.