Does Metamizole Cause Less Acute Kidney Injury than Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs When Combined with Diuretics and Antihypertensives?

Abstract

The concurrent use of (a) diuretics, (b) renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASIs), and (c) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or metamizole, known as the triple whammy (TW) combination, increases the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). This study compared TWs including metamizole versus NSAIDs regarding hospitalisation for AKI, need for renal replacement therapy (RRT), and all-cause mortality during hospitalisation. Serum creatinine (sCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) changes in the first year after TW initiation were also assessed. A nested case-control study was conducted within a cohort of adults receiving TW therapy (2009-2018). Logistic regression models analysed the associations between TW type and outcomes. Among 65,077 individuals (mean age 79.7 years; 26.3% male), TW including an NSAID was associated with a lower risk of AKI-related hospitalisation [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.81, 95%CI 0.74-0.87] and all-cause mortality (aOR 0.64, 95%CI 0.49-0.82) compared to TW including metamizole. No significant differences were found in other variables. These findings suggest that TW including an NSAID may reduce the risk of AKI-related hospitalisation and mortality compared to TW including metamizole, although kidney function parameters remained unaffected. Further research is needed to confirm these results.