Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Internal Medicine

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the general population; its prevalence increases with age and generally is associated with increased mortality. Cardiovascular disease is commonin ESRD patients. At the same time, renal disease, even at the earliest stagesis a cardiovascular risk factor. Despite major advances in dialysis technology, mortality is still high in patients with end-stage renal disease. Mortality is seen 10 to 15 times more often than it is in age- and sex-matched normal populations and about half of the deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases. AF may be favoured by myocardial modifications that are common in HD patients and that lead to structural and electrical remodelling, with a decrease in atrial effective refractory period and conduction velocity. Moreover, the sharp transmembraneionic movements occurring during HD sessions may favour the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF)

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