Adding Pre-procedural Glycemia to the Mehran Score Enhances Its Ability to Predict Contrast-induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With and Without Diabetes Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Abstract Background: The Mehran score is the most widely accepted tool for predicting contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), a major complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Similarly, abnormal fasting pre-procedural glycemia (FPG) represents a modifiable risk factor for CI-AKI, but it is not included in current risk models for CI-AKI prediction. We sought to analyze whether adding FPG to the Mehran score improves its ability to predict CI-AKI following PCI.Methods: We analyzed 671 consecutive patients undergoing PCI (age 69 [63,75] years, 23% females), regardless of their diabetic status, to derive a revised Mehran score obtained by including FPG in the original Mehran score (Derivation Cohort). The new risk model (GlyMehr) was externally validated in 673 consecutive patients (Validation Cohort) (age 69 [62,76] years, 21% females). Results: In the Derivation Cohort, both FPG and the original Mehran score predicted CI-AKI (AUC 0.703 and 0.673, respectively). The GlyMehr score showed a better predictive ability when compared with the Mehran score both in the Derivation Cohort (AUC 0.749, 95%CI 0.662-0.836; p=0.0016) and the Validation Cohort (AUC 0.848, 95%CI, 0.792–0.903; p=0.0008). In the overall population (n=1344), the GlyMehr score confirmed its independent and incremental predictive ability regardless of diabetic status (p≤0.0034) or unstable/stable coronary syndromes (p≤0.0272). Conclusions: Adding FPG to the Mehran score significantly enhances our ability to predict CI-AKI. The GlyMehr score may contribute to improve the clinical management of patients undergoing PCI by identifying those at high risk of CI-AKI and potentially detecting modifiable risk factors.