Dialysis patients face a higher risk for sudden cardiac death but physicians are still unclear as to why these deaths occur.

Rod Passman, a researcher from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in the US, is working on how to prevent sudden cardiac death among this rapidly growing patient population.

"Dialysis patients have extraordinarily high mortality rates with cardiac disease accounting for 43 percent of deaths in this population," said Passman.

"Data indicates that approximately 27 percent of the mortalities are due to sudden cardiac death," said Passman, associate professor of cardiology at the school of medicine.

"The lack of research complicates clinicians' ability to understand the connection between renal disease and cardiovascular disease. The medical community needs to stop neglecting this community of patients because it is a rapidly growing group," said Passman.

"Risk of cardiac arrest in dialysis patients is related to age and dialysis duration," said Passman, according to a Feinberg School of Medicine release.

"A study by the United States Renal Disease Data System (USRDS) indicates longer dialysis duration is associated with higher mortality," he said.

"This data also leads us to believe that end-stage renal disease is a primary promoter of cardiac disease and increased risk for sudden cardiac death," said Passman.

Passman presented these findings at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Chicago.