Mildly Reduced Renal Function Is Associated With Increased Heart Failure Admissions in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The association between renal dysfunction and cardiovascular outcomes has yet to be determined in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We aimed to investigate whether mildly reduced renal function is associated with the prognosis in patients with HCM.
Methods: Patients with HCM were enrolled at two tertiary HCM centers. Patients who were on dialysis, or had a previous history of heart failure (HF) or stroke were excluded. Patients were categorized into 3 groups by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): stage I (eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m², n = 538), stage II (eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m², n = 953), and stage III-V (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m², n = 265). Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for HF (HHF), or stroke during median 4.0-year follow-up. Multivariable Cox regression model was used to adjust for covariates.
Results: Among 1,756 HCM patients (mean 61.0 ± 13.4 years; 68.1% men), patients with stage III-V renal function had a significantly higher risk of MACEs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-5.27; P = 0.003), which was largely driven by increased incidence of cardiovascular death and HHF compared to those with stage I renal function. Even in patients with stage II renal function, the risk of MACE (vs. stage I: aHR, 2.21' 95% CI, 1.23-3.96; P = 0.008) and HHF (vs. stage I: aHR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.23-5.58; P = 0.012) was significantly increased.
Conclusion: This real-world observation showed that even mildly reduced renal function (i.e., eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m²) in patients with HCM was associated with an increased risk of MACEs, especially for HHF.
Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
(© 2024 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.)