The Long-Term Patency Rate and Factors Influencing Dysfunction of the Autogenous Arteriovenous Fistula in Hemodialysis Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Abstract

Introduction: Autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AV fistula) dysfunction continues to be a widespread clinical challenge, adversely impacting both patients and society as a whole. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term patency rate of AV fistula, explore the factors that contribute to AV fistula dysfunction, and present the findings in a way that can guide clinical practice.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who underwent AV fistula creation and subsequent hemodialysis at a tertiary A-level hospital in Chongqing, China. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the patients, as well as AV fistula dysfunction, were retrospectively reviewed from electronic health records. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing AV fistula dysfunction, and a forest plot was created to visualize the results. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to analyze AV fistula survival.

Findings: This study analyzed 226 patients undergoing hemodialysis, demonstrating cumulative AV fistula patency rates of 82.1% at 12 months, 60.7% at 36 months, 45.4% at 60 months, and 33.5% at 84 months. Univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis identified six variables associated with AV fistula dysfunction (p < 0.1): body mass index (BMI), preemptive AV fistula creation, diabetes, total cholesterol, albumin, and uric acid. Subsequent multivariate analysis revealed four independent predictors for dysfunction: elevated BMI (HR: 1.58, p = 0.016), preemptive AV fistula creation (HR: 0.67, p = 0.029), albumin (HR: 2.83, p < 0.001), and uric acid (HR: 1.57, p = 0.020).

Discussion: Our study findings indicated that overweight, hypoalbuminemia, and high concentrations of uric acid were independent risk factors for AV fistula dysfunction. In contrast, preemptive AV fistula creation was an independent protective factor against AV fistula dysfunction. Therefore, early interventions and surveillance for these factors should be performed to improve long-term AV fistula patency rates.