End-Stage Renal Disease, Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation, and the Warfarin Dilemma

There are more than 660,000 Americans with kidney failure and nearly 470,000 on dialysis.1 Of these, estimates of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) approach 20%.2 Atrial fibrillation nearly doubles the anticipated mortality and increases the stroke risk by approximately six-fold in these patients. The intersection between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and NVAF is complicated and not easily parsed. Atrial fibrillation likely increases the rate of progression to ESRD in patients with underlying chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research