Background: Hyperlipidaemia is a risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is a frequent comorbidity in patients with HIV-1 infection, but the renal effects of statins remain unclear.
Methods: We performed an observational, prospective study of HIV-infected patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy, with CKD and hyperlipidaemia, and starting a lipid-lowering treatment with rosuvastatin, atorvastatin or omega-3 fatty acids. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for >3 months.
Results: As a whole, 69 patients (53 men, 58 Caucasian, median age 56.2 years) were enrolled. Overall, 25 patients started rosuvastatin (10 mg daily, group A), 23 patients atorvastatin (20 mg daily, group B), and 21 started omega-3 fatty acids (3 g daily, group C). At baseline, median eGFR was 54.4 mL/min/1.73 m2, and the eGFR ranged between 50 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 in 87% of patients. After 12 months, the median eGFR decline was significantly lower in group A (-0.84 mL/min/1.73 m2) and in group B (-0.91 mL/min/1.73 m2) in comparison with the group C (-1.53 mL/min/1.73 m2; p < 0.001 for both comparisons). The median decrease in prevalence of proteinuria and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was also significantly greater in groups A and B than in group C, while the incidence of treatment discontinuations was comparable across the three groups.
Conclusion: In our study, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin showed a significant protective effect on the renal function compared to omega-3 fatty acids in HIV-1-infected patients with CKD and dyslipidaemia.
Keywords: Antiretroviral therapy; Glomerular filtration rate; Omega-3 fatty acids; Proteinuria; Statins.