Excess Risk for Kidney Disease in Young Military Personnel Who Use NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been associated with kidney disease in older patients. In this retrospective cohort study, researchers explored the health effects of NSAIDs in 760,000 young and middle-aged active-duty U.S. Army personnel (mean age, 29; 86% men) without known kidney disease. Units of NSAIDs taken by participants (mostly ibuprofen and naproxen) were converted to defined daily doses (DDDs) per month. In the 6 months prior to baseline, 18% of the cohort used one to seven DDDs, and 16% of the cohort used more than seven. Researchers controlled for demographic and clinical factors, including history of rhabdomyolysis and obesity.

During roughly 2 years of follow-up, 0.3% and 0.2% of the cohort experienced incide…