Millions of patients taking popular blood pressure medications may be at risk of developing fatal kidney problems, experts warn.
A study found that those taking medications like amlodipine and lacidipine had a 33 percent higher risk of complications, including kidney disease, than those taking other blood pressure medications.
Experts say these findings “raise important questions” about whether these types of medications – known as dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (DCCBs) – are “always the best option”.
DCCBs are mainly taken by the 16 million Brits who have high blood pressure, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The most commonly prescribed form is amlodipine – responsible for approximately 41 million prescriptions per year – as well as felodipine, lacidipine, lercanidipine hydrochloride, nicardipine hydrochloride, nifedipine and nimodipine.
They help dilate and relax blood vessels, allowing greater blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
The study involved patients with type 2 diabetes, who are already at higher risk for kidney problems.
This is because excess blood sugar levels in the blood force the kidneys to overwork, causing the organs’ filters to wear out.
A study found that patients with type 2 diabetes who took dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine had a 33 percent higher risk of complications
Israeli researchers followed more than 31,000 adults with type 2 diabetes for five years for the study.
About 40 percent of participants used DCCBs. They all took other medications to prevent kidney damage, which is often the case in type 2 diabetics.
Presenting their findings at this year’s European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow, the scientists revealed that patients taking DCCBs had a 33 percent higher risk of serious kidney problems.
This included a decline of more than 40 percent in kidney function, referring to how well the organs filter blood and waste.
Participants on the drugs were also more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease, severe enough to require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
This is more commonly known as kidney failure, which is responsible for around 45,000 deaths every year in Britain.
Around 20 people in Britain develop kidney failure every day.
Dr. Timna Agur, senior nephrologist at Rabin Medical Center and lead author of the study, said: ‘Our findings raise important questions about whether these drugs are always the best option for patients already receiving modern kidney-protective therapies.’
Researchers believe that the DCCBs may disrupt blood flow through the kidneys.
They say the drugs can relax blood vessels so much that excess fluid enters the kidney’s filtering system.
This could potentially contribute to further damage.
The researchers emphasized that they could not prove that the drugs caused the increased kidney complications, but their findings are important and require further study.
Dr. Agur added, “GRegardless of how often these medications are prescribed, an increase in kidney risk could have important consequences for large numbers of patients.”
It comes after doctors called on the NHS to roll out a urine test to detect diabetes-related kidney disease earlier.
The problem affects more than 7 million Britons, but it is estimated that around 30 to 50 percent of cases go undiagnosed by a doctor.
Research from the charity Kidney Care UK found that 65 percent of people with diabetes and high blood pressure who later developed kidney disease were not told they were at higher risk.
Nearly 40 percent of people with diabetes also miss simple urine tests that can identify early signs of kidney damage and allow for treatment that can slow or stop progression.
Earlier this year, Alison Railton, policy director at Kidney Research UK, said: ‘Governments must prioritize making healthcare services available to diagnose patients at risk, such as those with heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, earlier and provide them with urgent, preventive care – otherwise millions of patients and economies worldwide will be affected.’
