Abstract P418: Pre-Stroke Use of Loop Diuretics in Elderly Patients Aggravates Renal Function at the Onset of Acute Stroke: A Propensity Score-Matched, Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: Renal function is often impaired in elderly patients experiencing acute stroke (AS) due to pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD), which can progress to severe renal dysfunction (SRD). SRD can limit pharmacological treatments, such as anticoagulants, antiplatelets, diabetes medicines, or antihypertensives during the AS phase. Therefore, preventing CKD progression to SRD and minimizing the use of renal-impairing agents before SRD development is crucial. Loop diuretics, commonly prescribed for heart failure, have been reported to exacerbate renal function. Sex-based differences in renal function due to gonadal hormones exist. However, the impact of loop diuretics on the risk of SRD before AS in both sexes remains unclear. Hypothesis: The pre-stroke use of loop diuretics in elderly patients aggravates renal function at the onset of AS in both sexes. Methods: We conducted a propensity score-matched, retrospective cohort study involving patients admitted within 24 hours of AS onset between January 2013 and March 2019 with available pre-stroke medication information. We defined SRD as a calculated creatinine clearance (Ccr) of <30 ml/min. We analyzed logistic regression using variables for pre-stroke loop diuretics initiation, calculated propensity scores for pre-stroke loop diuretics usage, and implemented a one-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) by sex. We compared the incidence of SRD between loop diuretics users and non-users within each sex group. Results: Among 4294 patients with AS, 3472 met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 129 male and 143 female loop diuretic users were matched with non-users using the one-to-one PSM. After the PSM, median ages were 80 years in males and 86 years in females, respectively. The SRD incidence was 38.0% (49/129) versus 16.8% (21/129) in males (p<0.0001) and 50.4% (78/143) versus 23.1% (48/143) in females (p<0.0001), comparing users to non-users. Conclusions: The pre-stroke use of loop diuretics in elderly patients may increase the risk of SRD at the onset of AS in both sexes. Therefore, cautious utilization of loop diuretics in elderly patients is recommended to prevent SRD before AS. A possible option is to switch loop diuretics to other medications, which have been shown to have better renal protective effects. Further prospective studies are needed to validate our findings and establish the appropriate usage of loop diuretics in elderly patients before AS.