Clinical Outcomes And Prognostic Impact Of Triglyceride Deposit Cardiomyovasculopathy Among Hemodialysis Patients Suspected Of Coronary Artery Disease

Introduction: Hemodialysis (HD) has been reported as a strong prognostic factor in patients with cardiovascular disease. It is unknown how much triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy (TGCV), a novel identified rare cardiovascular disorder, is associated with cardiovascular mortality among HD patients. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that comorbidity of TGCV in HD patients who suspected of CAD plays a critical role for cardiovascular outcomes in this population. Methods: We examined the data obtained from 83 consecutive HD patients suspected of coronary artery disease who underwent both [123I]-β-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) scintigraphy and subsequent coronary angiography (CAG). The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), or non-fatal stroke up to 5 years of follow-up. The key secondary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke, target vessel revascularization, or any hospitalization for heart failure. Results: A total of 83 HD patients were grouped into either the definite TGCV (17 patients), the probable TGCV (22 patients), or the non-TGCV control group (44 patients). At the end of the follow-up period for a median of 4.7 years, a primary endpoint event occurred in 58.8% of the definite TGCV patients (hazard ratio, 8.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.52-25.8, Log-rank p<0.001) and 27.3% of the probable TGCV patients, as compared to 9.1% of the non-TGCV control patients; the corresponding rates of the key secondary endpoint were 88.2% for the definite TGCV patients (hazard ratio, 6.36; 95% CI, 2.89-14.0, Log-rank p<0.001) and 59.1% for the probable TGCV patients. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses after adjustment for confounding factors, various variables related to mortality on HD patients, or variables known as a classical cardiovascular risk, the definite TGCV was significantly and independently associated with cardiovascular mortality and outcomes in any of the three models. Conclusions: Comorbidity of TGCV in patients on HD was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events including cardiovascular death, which might highlight the potential therapeutic target.