A high rate of kidney problems in HIV-positive people has been documented in a New York study. Analysis of the new data, published in the October 1 issue of AIDS, found that 15 percent of HIV-positive patients at an East Harlem hospital had chronic kidney disease.
At the Mount Sinai AIDS Center in New York, Christina Wyatt, MD, and her colleagues examined the medical histories of 1,241 adults with HIV. One third were over the age of 50, and 90 percent were black or Hispanic. Of the 15 percent who were determined to have chronic kidney disease, 55 percent had high blood pressure and 20 percent had diabetes—both major kidney disease risk factors
Although the rate of kidney disease was high in the study, researchers stated that the statistical methods they used may have underreported the actual number of people with kidney troubles. They conclude that minority patients in particular should be monitored closely to help prevent or delay kidney disease.
