Men between the ages of 40 and 85, who took a type of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones may be facing an increased risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Fluoroquinolones, which include ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, are prescribed for bacterial strains of respiratory, urinary tract, gastrointestinal, and abdominal infections. The study’s research team was headed up by Mahyar Etmina MD, a researcher with the Child & Family Research Institute at the University of British Columbia. “We found a twofold increased risk of acute kidney injury requiring hospital admission with the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. We did not find increased risk of acute kidney injury with other antibiotics.” Additionally, the study found that men who were also taking certain kinds of cardiovascular medications, such as ACE inhibitors, were at an even higher risk for developing kidney disease. While the high risk is a cause for concern, researchers in the study don’t feel as though doctors should stop prescribing them altogether; they simply must be more stringent in monitoring these side effects in their male patients. “Although it is clear that the risk of death due to serious infections outweighs the risks associated with the use of fluoroquinolones,” researchers wrote in the study, “the potential for acute kidney injury raises the importance of vigilant prescribing.”
Facts About Kidney Disease:
- 26 million American adults have Chronic Kidney Disease and millions of others are at increased risk.
- Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.
- Heart disease is the major cause of death for all people with CKD.
- Hypertension causes CKD and CKD causes hypertension.
- Persistent proteinuria (protein in the urine) means CKD is present.
- High risk groups include those with diabetes, hypertension and family history of kidney disease.
- African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and Seniors are at increased risk.
- Three simple tests can detect CKD: blood pressure, urine albumin and serum creatinine.
Want to learn more about the realities of the signs and symptoms of kidney disease? Visit The National Kidney Foundation website: http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/aboutckd.cfm.
