Effects of diuretics on intradialytic hypotension in maintenance dialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a serious complication in dialysis patients. Diuretics might reduce the incidence of IDH by decreasing ultrafiltration. However, the effect of diuretics on IDH in maintenance dialysis patients is still unclear.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and clinical trials registries from 1945 to May 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or observational studies about IDH in maintenance dialysis with diuretics were included.

Results

Seven studies including 28,226 patients were included, of which 4 were RCTs involving mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) and 3 were observational studies involving loop diuretics. There was a trend that a lower incidence rate of IDH in maintenance dialysis patients who used loop diuretics than control, although the result was not statistically significant (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.34–1.22, P?=?0.18). Similarly, lower incidence rate of all-cause mortality (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.99; P?=?0.02) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75–0.99, P?=?0.03) in dialysis patients who used loop diuretics than control. On the contrary, there were no significant difference in the incidence of IDH (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.78–2.34, P?=?0.29) and all-cause mortality (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.26–2.01; P?=?0.54) and CV mortality (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.14–2.25; P?=?0.42) in maintenance dialysis patients who used MRAs compared with control.

Conclusion

Loop diuretics, but not MRAs, might have a potential benefit to reduce the incidence rate of IDH, all-cause mortality and CV mortality. More high-quality studies are needed to strengthen the arguments.