Effect of rehabilitation on renal outcomes after acute kidney injury associated with cardiovascular disease: a retrospective analysis

Abstract Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence is extremely high worldwide, and patients who develop AKI are at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), CKD progression, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, there is no established treatment strategy for AKI. Based on the idea that exercise stabilizes hemodynamics, we hypothesized that rehabilitation would have beneficial renal outcomes after AKI associated with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether rehabilitation can stabilize hemodynamics and positively impact renal outcomes in patients with AKI associated with cardiovascular disease. Methods: In total, 107 patients with AKI associated with cardiovascular disease were enrolled in this single-center retrospective study and were either assigned to the intervention group (n = 36), which received rehabilitation at least once a week for at least 8 consecutive weeks, or to the control group (n = 71). Estimated glomerular filtration rate was assessed at baseline before admission, at the lowest value during hospitalization, and at 3, 12, and 24 months. Trends over time (group × time) between the two groups were compared using generalized estimating equations. Moreover, congestive status was assessed by amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and the effect of rehabilitation on congestion improvement was investigated using logistical regression analysis. Results: The time course of renal function after AKI, from baseline to each of the three timepoints suggested significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at any time point in terms of percentage of patients with a high risk of developing ESRD. Moreover, the presence or absence of intervention was significantly associated with improvement in congestion at 3 months (p < 0.05, odds ratio: 0.300, 95% confidence interval: 0.092–0.972). Conclusion: Our results suggest that rehabilitation after AKI associated with cardiovascular disease correlates with an improvement in congestion and may have a positive effect on the course of renal function after AKI.