Comparison of incidence of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter: real-world evidences from a propensity score-matched national cohort analysis

We investigated the adverse renal outcomes in patients affected by either atrial fibrillation (Afib) or atrial flutter (AFL). Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance research database, both cohorts were 1:1 propensity score matched based on age, sex, index year, and comorbidity using logistic regression model. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) between the two cohorts were obtained using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Competing-risks regression models were applied to calculate the subhazard ratios (SHRs) and corresponding 95% CIs of the adverse renal outcomes. Afib patients were 1.15 and 1.33 times more likely to experience CKD and ESRD, respectively, than AFL patients (incidence rate per 10,000 person-years (IR): CKD, 10.8 vs 9.41; ESRD, 4.44 vs 3.34), with the adjusted HRs of 1.18 and 1.32 (CKD, 95% CI = 1.07–1.30; ESRD, 95% CI = 1.12–1.55). Afib patients were 1.08 times (95% CI = 1.01–1.16) more likely to have AKI than AFL patients after adjusting for confounding covariates. Competing risk analysis showed that Afib patients were 1.08 (95% CI = 1.01–1.15), 1.18 (95% CI = 1.07–1.30) and 1.32 (95% CI = 1.12–1.55) times more likely to experience AKI, CKD and ESRD than AFL subjects. This study showed that Afib conferred worse renal events of AKI, CKD and ESRD than AFL.