Effects of Novel Antidiabetic Agents on Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) remains a serious complication after percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI), with limited effective preventive strategies especially for diabetic patients. This study aimed to assess the effects of novel antidiabetic agents (NAD), i.e., glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i), on the occurrence of this outcome in diabetic patients undergoing PCI. We enrolled 293 consecutive diabetic patients receiving NAD at the time of PCI (NAD group) and paired them with 293 diabetic individuals undergoing revascularization who were not on NAD (no-NAD group), matched according to age and sex. CA-AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine (SCr) ≥0.3 mg/dl or >50% from baseline within 48 to 72 hours after contrast exposure. A propensity score-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to account for potential selection bias. NAD treatment was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of CA-AKI than standard glucose-lowering therapies (4.1 vs. 8.5%, p = 0.023). Furthermore, patients using SGLT2i and GLP-1RAs exhibited a lower incidence of CA-AKI compared to those taking DPP4i. Both multivariate and propensity-score-adjusted regression analyses identified NAD therapy as an independent predictor of CA-AKI (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22–0.98, p = 0.040 and OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.23–0.98, p = 0.045). In conclusion, this study is the first to explore the potential benefit of all three NAD classes on CA-AKI incidence. The use of these agents is associated with a lower incidence of renal damage in diabetic patients undergoing PCI, with the greatest benefit observed with SGLT2i and GLP-1RAs use.