@article{Khan_Iqtadar_Shafi_Abaidullah_Refai_2017, title={Effect of Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents on Cardiovascular Events in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Hemodialysis}, volume={23}, url={https://annalskemu.org/journal/index.php/annals/article/view/1577}, DOI={10.21649/akemu.v23i2.1577}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Objectives:  </strong>Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) develop anemia which is treated with erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs). However, ESAs do not reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, this is unclear whether ESAs therapy has any association with adverse cardiovascular events.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong><strong>  </strong>After an informed consent 275 male and female patients, between ages 35 to 75 years, with CKD stage V on ESAs undergoing twice weekly hemodialysis were enrolled. The dose of ESAs was calculated according to weight as 50mg/kg with target hemoglobin being 11 – 12 g/dl. Dose adjustments were made in the patients who failed to achieve target hemoglobin. The patients were followed for a year with the primary end point being new evidence of acute myocardial infarction (MI) diagnosed through ECG or echocardiography. Safety outcomes included stroke or death.</p><p><strong>Results:  </strong>The data was entered and analyzed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18</p><p>Out of 275 patients, 164 (59.6%) patients were males and 111 (40.4%) were females. Mean age of the patients was 51.52 with standard deviation of ± 5.73. According to the results, 52 (18.9%) patients reported with MI and 223 (81.1%) patients had no evidence of MI. Out of 52 patients who had MI, 37 (71.1%) were males and 15 (28.8%) patients were female.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong><strong>  </strong>ESAs are associated with an increased risk of MI in CKD patients on hemodialysis. Whether there is a direct association or there are other factors involved remains to be seen.</p>}, number={2}, journal={Annals of King Edward Medical University}, author={Khan, Ali Asad and Iqtadar, Somia and Shafi, Yasir and Abaidullah, Sajid and Refai, Aasma}, year={2017}, month={Jun.} }