A Study of Abnormal Echocardiogram Findings in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease With Reference to Cardiac Biomarkers

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent, especially in populations with multiple risk factors, such as undiagnosed and untreated hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) leading to poor quality of life or even death have been noted as an increasing trend among CKD patients. This study aims to use cardiac biomarkers to evaluate their association with abnormal echocardiogram findings in CKD patients, which may allow for the improvement of quality of life with early treatment. Methods and materials This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 103 diagnosed CKD patients at the Department of Medicine, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital, and Research Centre in Pimpri, Pune, from January 2023 to January 2024. Ethical approval was acquired, and written consent was obtained from participants. The study utilised cardiac biomarkers such as N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin I (Trop I), and a radiological tool, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). All patients with diagnosed stages 3, 4, and 5 CKD between the ages of 18-80 years were included, and the exclusion criteria consisted of patients who had already undergone cardiac interventional procedures or known cases of CVDs. Results In our study, out of 103 participants, the majority were aged between 51 and 60 years (35, 34%). The study had a majority of male participants (76, 73.8%). Major risk factors were considered, noting hypertension in 63 (61.2%) and diabetes mellitus in 81 (78.6%). Participants were divided into stages of CKD. Cardiac biomarkers such as NT-proBNP and Trop I levels were assessed in all participants in the different stages of CKD showing elevated levels of NT-proBNP across all stages. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) screening tests were also evaluated for all patients, showing diastolic dysfunction (DD) as the most common finding in stage 3 (5, 41.67%), stage 4 (25, 62.5%), and stage 5 (35, 68.83%), followed by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as a common finding in stage 3 (4, 33.3%), stage 4 (20, 50%), and stage 5 (30, 58.2%) CKD. Furthermore, the association between raised cardiac biomarkers and abnormal echocardiogram findings across the stages of CKD was evaluated, resulting in a statistically significant association with p-values < 0.05. Conclusion This research sheds light on the association between cardiac biomarkers and abnormal echocardiogram findings in CKD patients and helps us determine if there is any added benefit or predictive value in screening these individuals at different stages of the disease to allow early intervention and improvement in treatment and quality of life.