Combined Impact of Impaired Kidney Function and Subclinical Myocardial Injury on Cardiovascular Mortality

Strategic Insights -

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine has investigated the individual and joint associations of impaired kidney function and subclinical myocardial injury with cardiovascular mortality in the general population. Researchers from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine analyzed data from 6057 participants in the U.S. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study found that the coexistence of impaired kidney function and subclinical myocardial injury showed the highest risk of cardiovascular mortality, but without statistical significance compared to each condition alone.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed data from 6057 participants in the U.S. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with a mean age of 57.0 years and standard deviation of 13.0 years.
  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-EPI equation, and electrocardiographic subclinical myocardial injury (SCMI) was defined as a cardiac infarction/injury score of 10 or higher.
  • At baseline, 1297 participants (21.4%) had SCMI, and multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that impaired kidney function was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.
  • Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the individual and combined associations of eGFR and SCMI with cardiovascular mortality, and the coexistence of impaired kidney function and SCMI showed the highest risk but without statistical significance.
  • The study suggests that the coexistence of impaired kidney function and SCMI may increase the risk of cardiovascular mortality, and further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Statistics:

  • 6057 participants were analyzed in the study.
  • Mean age of participants was 57.0 years.
  • Standard deviation of age was 13.0 years.
  • 1297 participants (21.4%) had SCMI.
  • Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that eGFR was a significant predictor of cardiovascular mortality (p < 0.001).
  • Cox proportional hazards models showed that the coexistence of impaired kidney function and SCMI increased the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 34.5% (95% CI: 1.24-1.53).

Sources:

  • Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025;14(19):7123
  • Mohamed A. Mostafa, Epidemiological Cardiology Research Center, Dept. of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States.
  • Ahmed E. Shatta, Mohamed A. Attia, Tarek Ahmad Zaho, Richard Kazibwe, and Elsayed Z. Soliman.
  • Mdpi, St Alban-Anlage 66, Ch-4052 Basel, Switzerland.