Study Highlights the Impact of Kidney Function on the Occurrence of AFib

There’s a significant association between decreased kidney function and the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF).

In this study, assessed the prognostic impact of decreased kidney function at admission on the occurrence of new-onset AF in 3,115 consecutive patients with STEMI. Kidney function was analyzed using estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at admission. Exclusion criteria was defined as patients with cardiogenic shock at admission, patients on hemodialysis, and patients with a medical history of previous AF (paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent).

According to the results, new-onset AF occurred in 215 (6.9%) patients, 75 (34.9%) patients presented with AF, and 140 (65.1%) patients developed AF after pPCI. The median time of AF occurrence in patients who did not present with AF, according to the researchers, was 4.5 hours after pPCI. New-onset AF was associated with a higher short- and long-term mortality.

The results of logistical regression showed all stages of reduced kidney function were independent predictors for the occurrence of new-onset AF, and negative prognostic impact increased with the deterioration of kidney function: eGFR <90 mL/min/m2, hazard ratio (HR) 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42-2.89, p=0.011; eGFR 60-89 mL/min/m2, HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.13-2.57, p=0.045; eGFR 45-59 mL/min/m2-, HR 2.09, 95% CI 1.24-2.85, p=0.023; eGFR 30-44 mL/min/m2-, HR 2.93, 95% CI 1.64-5.29, p<0.001; eGFR 15-29 mL/min/m2-, HR 5.51, 95% CI 2.67-11.39, p<0.001.

“Decreased kidney function was significantly associated with the occurrence of new-onset AF, and its impact increased with the deterioration in kidney function, starting with an eGFR value of 90 mL/min/m2. New-onset AF was an independent predictor of long-term all-cause mortality in the analyzed patients,” the researchers concluded.