Low Triiodothyronine Syndrome Increased the Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe complication of cardiac surgery. This study was designed to explore the association between the preoperative low T3 syndrome and cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). Methods: This was a retrospective single-center study. Data on 784 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or valve surgery were collected from January 2016 to July 2019. AKI was defined according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines. The effect of preoperative low T3 syndrome (fT3 < 3.5pmol/L) on the risk of the postoperative AKI was analyzed in a logistic regression model. Results: There were 171 (21.8%) patients developing AKI. Preoperative T3 and FT3 levels were lower in patients with AKI than in those without AKI (P < 0.001). The incidence of postoperative AKI was higher in patients with low T3 syndrome than in those without (31.0% vs 19.8%; P = 0.003). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low T3 syndrome was an independent risk factor for CSA-AKI patients (OR = 1.609, 95% CI: 1.033-2.504; P = 0.035), after adjusting for confounding factors, such as age, albumin, and uric acid. Subgroup analyses showed that preoperative low T3 syndrome also increased incidence of CSA-AKI in those with high risk factors, such as age >= 60 yrs (OR: 1.891, 95% CI: 1.183-3.022, P = 0.008), hypertension (OR: 2.104, 95% CI: 1.218-3.3.635, P = 0.008), and hyperuricemia (OR: 2.052, 95% CI: 1.037-4.06, P = 0.039). Conclusion: Low T3 syndrome independently increases the risk of CSA-AKI. Patients with low T3 syndrome should be considered at higher risk and be evaluated before cardiac surgery.