Tenofovir Associated With Nonreversible Kidney Disease, Daniel M. Keller, Medscape.com (2011)

This research, presented at the American Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting and described in this article, indicates that tenofovir, an antiretroviral drug used for the treatment of HIV, is associated with an increased risk for events related to kidney disease. In a cohort study of 10,841 HIV-positive treatment-naïve veterans (those who have not previously received drug treatment for HIV) from 1997-2007, researchers from University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine found that with each year of exposure to tenofovir, kidney disease outcomes increase, and these risks do not appear to be reversible even after discontinuing use. The average age of the veterans involved in the study was 46 and 2.3% of the cohort was female.

The researchers note that there are several other factors, including age, race, chronic kidney disease, and other co-occurring disorders that are associated with increased risk for such outcomes and that the specific demographics of the cohort suggest that their findings may not generalize to women, nonveterans, or patients who do not receive regular clinical care.