Kofod DH, Diederichsen SZ, Bomholt T, Andersen MØ, Andersen A, Mannheimer E, Rix M, Liem YS, Lindhard K, Hansen HP, Rydahl C, Lindhardt M, Brøsen J, Schandorff K, Lange T, Nørgaard K, Almdal TP, Svendsen JH, Feldt-Rasmussen B, and Hornum M
Aims/hypothesis: We aimed to examine arrhythmias and hypoglycaemia among individuals with and without diabetes who are receiving haemodialysis and to investigate the association between arrhythmias and hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia and glycaemic variability., Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included 70 participants on maintenance haemodialysis (35 with diabetes and 35 without diabetes). We employed implantable cardiac monitors for continuous heart rhythm monitoring in combination with periodic use of continuous glucose monitoring. Logistic-regression-type linear mixed models were used to examine associations between arrhythmias and glycaemic measures., Results: During 18 months of follow-up, clinically significant arrhythmias (bradyarrhythmia and ventricular tachycardia) were identified in 12 (34%) participants with diabetes and 11 (31%) without diabetes. Atrial fibrillation was detected in 13 (37%) participants with diabetes and 14 (40%) without, while other supraventricular tachycardia was detected in seven (20%) and 11 (31%) participants with and without diabetes, respectively. Hypoglycaemia (sensor glucose <3.9 mmol/l) was observed in 27 (77%) participants with diabetes and 32 (91%) without diabetes. Compared with euglycaemia, hypoglycaemia was associated with an increased rate of arrhythmias among participants without diabetes (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 3.13 [95% CI 1.49, 6.55]), while hyperglycaemia (sensor glucose >10.0 mmol/l) was associated with a decreased rate of arrhythmias among participants with diabetes (IRR 0.58 [95% CI 0.37, 0.92]). Glycaemic variability showed no association with arrhythmias regardless of the presence of diabetes., Conclusions/interpretation: Arrhythmias and hypoglycaemia were common in those undergoing haemodialysis regardless of diabetes status. Our data suggest a temporal relationship between arrhythmias and glucose level in both individuals with and without diabetes., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04841304., Competing Interests: Acknowledgements: We gratefully thank the study participants for their contribution. From the Department of Nephrology, Rigshospitalet, we thank research nurse H. Corinth and laboratory technician A. Haltorp for assisting with study procedures, as well as medical students N. T. Bruun and U. J. Lentoft for data entry and CGM management. Furthermore, we thank our colleagues at the Peritoneal Dialysis Unit at the Department of Nephrology, Rigshospitalet, for providing facilities for the implantation procedure and the dialysis nurses and other colleagues in the Department of Nephrology at Rigshospitalet, Herlev Hospital, Holbaek Hospital and North Zealand Hospital for supporting the study. Data availability: The data of this study are not publicly available due to the risk of potential re-identification of individuals but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Funding: Open access funding provided by National Hospital. This study was supported by grants from the Rigshospitalet’s research foundation, the Augustinus Foundation (grant no. 20-1977), Skibsreder Per Henriksen R og Hustrus Fond (grant no. 01-10403), Johnny Weilebys Fond (grant no. 10-100067), Helen og Ejnar Bjørnows Fond and Region Zealand’s Health Research Foundation. The CGM equipment was partly sponsored by Dexcom and ILRs were partly sponsored by Medtronic. The study sponsor/funders were not involved in the design of the study; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing the report; and did not impose any restrictions regarding the publication of the report. Authors’ relationships and activities: DHK has received speaker honoraria from Bayer outside the submitted work. SZD is a consultant for Cortrium, Acesion Pharma and Vital Beats, a member of the Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer advisory board, and has received speaker honoraria from Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer and Bayer and travel grants from Abbott and Bostin Scientific. TB has been a member of the Medtronic and AstraZeneca advisory board and has received speaker honoraria from AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work. AA has received lecture fees from and served on advisory boards for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. JB has received speaker honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the scope of the submitted work. ML is a member of the advisory board at AstraZeneca, Bayer Denmark, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Novo Nordisk, and has received speaker honoraria from AstraZeneca, Bayer Denmark, Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as research collaboration funded by AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim. KN holds stocks in Novo Nordisk; has been a paid consultant for Novo Nordisk and Medtronic; has received speaker honorarium and honorarium for Advisory Board to her institution from Medtronic, Novo Nordisk and Convatec; and her institution has received research funding from Zealand Pharma, Novo Nordisk, Medtronic and Dexcom. TPA holds stocks in Novo Nordisk. JHS is a member of the advisory board at Medtronic and Vital Beats and has received speaker honoraria and research grants from Medtronic outside the submitted work. MH has served on scientific advisory boards for the following companies outside the scope of this study: Astra Zeneca; Novo Nordisk; Boehringer Ingelheim; GSK; and CSL Vifor Pharma. MH has also served as moderator of a symposium and an educational meeting for Astra Zeneca and Novo Nordisk, has received research grants from the A.P. Møller Foundation, Augustinus Foundation, Helen Bjørnow Foundation and Lundbeck Foundation; and has received a Twinning Horizon 2020 Europe Grant. The authors declare that there are no other relationships or activities that might bias, or be perceived to bias, their work. Contribution statement: DHK, SZD, TB, MØA, MR, YSL, KL, HPH, CR, ML, TL, KN, TPA, JHS, BF-R and MH were involved in the conception and design of the study. DHK, SZD, TB, MØA, AA, EM, MR, YSL, KL, ML, JB, KS, TL, KN, TPA, JHS, BF-R and MH were involved in the data acquisition, analyses and interpretation of the data. DHK wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors edited, reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript. DHK is the guarantor of this work and, as such, had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis., (© 2025. The Author(s).)