Pre-operative Exposure to SGLT2 Inhibitors and Post-operative Acute Renal Failure in Cardiac Surgery: a Retrospective Monocentric Cohort Study

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass exposes patients to the risk of post-operative acute kidney injury. In the specific setting of cardiac surgery, acute kidney injury is often of multifactorial origindue to particular haemodynamic mechanisms, renal hypoxia, or damage linked in the inflammatory reaction or haemolysis (1). In recent years, inhibitors of the sodium/glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2i) have demonstrated their relevance in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic or acute heart failure and chronic kidney disease. These drugs were initially developed to optimise glycaemic control in diabetic patients. They are currently recommended as part of the management of diabetic patients at high cardiovascular risk, patients with systolic and/or diastolic heart failure, and patients with chronic kidney disease. Some pharmacodynamic properties of SGLT2i suggest that they could have a beneficial effect in preventing the onset of acute kidney injury, but also that they could lead to potentially deleterious effects in renal haemodynamic in specific situations. The aim of the study was to estimate the impact of pre-operative exposure to SGLT2i on the occurrence of post-operative acute kidney injury in high-risk renal patients undergoing cardiac surgery.