title: Incidence of sudden cardiac death in adults with end-stage renal disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: Although sudden cardiac death (SCD) is recognized as a distinct cause of death in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), its incidence has not been well summarized.
  
  
  
  We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature based on a protocol developed a priori. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (inception to March 2015) for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies reporting the incidence of SCD in adult patients with ESRD on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. We collected data on number of SCD as well as the definition of SCD for each individual study. A random-effects model was used to summarize the incidence of SCD. We conducted subgroup analyses to explore sources of heterogeneity.
  
  
  
  Forty two studies (n = 80,382 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The incidence of SCD among adults with ESRD ranged from 0.4 to 10.04 deaths per 100 person-years. The definitions and assessment of SCD varied across the included studies. There was evidence of significant heterogeneity (I(2) = 98; p < 0.001), which was not explained by subgroup analyses stratified by mean age, proportion of hypertensive or diabetic patients, follow-up time, study size, or type of cohort studied.
  
  
  
  Current estimates of the incidence of SCD among adults with ESRD vary widely. There is a need for further studies to more accurately estimate the incidence of SCD in patients with ESRD.
authors.affiliation: Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharanya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.affiliation: Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalucky
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Calgary, Health Sciences Building, Room G233, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.|Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Brenda R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hemmelgarn
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.|Department of Surgery, University of Calgary and the Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Derek J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.|Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Sofia B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.|Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wilton
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Calgary, Health Sciences Building, Room G233, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. mjun@ucalgary.ca.|Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. mjun@ucalgary.ca.|The George Institute for Global Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. mjun@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: End stage renal disease; Incidence; Sudden cardiac death; Systematic review