Prediction models for ischemic stroke and bleeding in dialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Patients with kidney failure on maintenance dialysis have a high stroke and bleeding risk. Multivariable prediction models can be used to estimate the risk of ischemic stroke and bleeding. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine the performance of the existing models in patients on dialysis.

MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched, from inception through 12 January 2024, for studies of prediction models for stroke or bleeding, derived or validated in dialysis cohorts. Discrimination measures for models with c-statistic data from three or more cohorts were pooled by random effects meta-analysis and a 95% prediction interval (PI) was calculated. Risk of bias was assessed using PROBAST. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement and the CHARMS checklist.

Eight studies were included in this systematic review. All the included studies validated pre-existing models that were derived in cohorts from the general population. None of the identified studies reported the development of a new dialysis specific prediction model for stroke, while dialysis specific risk scores for bleeding were proposed by two studies. In meta-analysis of c-statistics, the CHA₂DS₂-VASc, CHADS₂, ATRIA, HEMORR(2)HAGES and HAS-BLED scores showed very poor discriminative ability in the dialysis population. Six of the eight included studies were at low or unclear risk of bias and certainty of evidence was moderate.

The existing prediction models for stroke and bleeding have very poor performance in the dialysis population. New dialysis-specific risk scores should be developed to guide clinical decision making in these patients.