Association of calcium channel blockers and mortality in haemodialysis patients

Patients with end-stage renal disease show disturbances of calcium metabolism, including calcification of arterial walls. Such patients show increased mortality, in particular due to increased cardiovascular-associated deaths. The association of calcium channel blockers and mortality in patients undergoing haemodialysis was investigated. A total of 188 patients who were receiving haemodialysis as of July 1998 were followed up for 30 months. Baseline characteristics, including age, sex, laboratory and clinical data, medication and dialysis prescription, were obtained. As of December 2000, 51 of the patients (27%) had died. In the deceased group, age was significantly higher, body mass index was significantly lower, and smoking was significantly more frequent compared with the survival group (each P<0.001). The percentage of patients taking calcium channel blockers was significantly higher in the survival group. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that haemodialysis patients assigned calcium channel blocker therapy had a significantly lower risk of mortality [relative risk 0.33 (95% confidence interval 0.17–0.67); P<0.001]. Thus, in haemodialysis patients who were at high risk of cardiovascular events, administration of calcium channel blockers was associated with lower mortality.