More on Tenofovir and Risk for Kidney Disease

The extent to which tenofovir use is linked to a higher risk for kidney disease is controversial. In the latest study on the topic, investigators reviewed data from 10,841 HIV-infected U.S. veterans who initiated antiretroviral therapy between 1997 and 2007 (98% male; mean age, 46).

Proteinuria was defined as having two consecutive urine dipstick measurements ≥30 mg/dL. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as having two consecutive glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimates <60 mL/minute/1.73m².

There were 3400 proteinuria events during approximately 38,000 person-years (PY) of follow-up and 533 CKD events during 56,000 PY (overall CKD rate, ≈1 case per 100 PY). A total of 4303 patients were exposed to tenofovir, for a mean duration of 1.…