Prophylactic Trimetazidine may prevent contrast induced AKI in patients undergoing CAG or PCI: Study

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a known complication after coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clinical evidence suggests that trimetazidine (TMZ), an anti-ischemic drug, may prevent CI-AKI.

We aimed to evaluate the role of trimetazidine in preventing CI-AKI in patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction undergoing CAG or PCI. They searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases from January 2004 to January 2024. We reviewed RCTs involving participants aged ≥ 18 years with pre-existing renal insufficiency who underwent CAG or PCI.

Outcomes should include the incidence of CI-AKI, adverse events, and changes in serum creatinine (Scr) levels at different time intervals. Two reviewers independently extracted the data, evaluated the quality and relevance of the studies, and graded the strength of evidence for each study through consensus.

Results: Nine RCTs met the inclusion criteria and assessed the role of TMZ in patients with renal dysfunction who underwent CAG or PCI. All RCTs showed a significant decrease in the incidence of CI-AKI in the TMZ group compared to the control group (RR 0.36, 95% CI, [0.25, 0.52] P < 0.001). Changes in Scr at 24 h (SMD -0.33, 95% CI, [-0.56, -0.10], P = 0.01), at 48 h (SMD -0.27, 95% CI, [-0.46, -0.09], P = 0.01), and 72 h (SMD -0.32, 95% CI, [-0.56, -0.07], P = 0.01) were statistically significant in the TMZ group compared to the control group.