Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers and Kidney Outcomes

Early trials of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (DCCBs) suggest a detrimental effect on intraglomerular pressure and an association with albuminuria. We sought to evaluate the associations of DCCB initiation with albuminuria and kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT) and to determine whether renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade modified these associations. We conducted a target trial emulation study using a new user, active comparator design and electronic health record data from Geisinger Health. We included patients without severe albuminuria or KFRT who were initiated on a DCCB or thiazide (active comparator) between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2019. Using inverse probability of treatment weighting, we performed doubly robust Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the association of DCCB initiation with incident severe albuminuria (urine albumin to creatinine ratio > 300 mg/g) and KFRT, overall and stratified by RAS blocker use. There were 11,747 and 26,758 eligible patients initiating a DCCB and thiazide, respectively, with a weighted baseline mean age of 60 years, systolic blood pressure of 143 mm Hg, and eGFR of 86 mL/min/1.73 m2, and with a mean follow-up of 8 years. Compared with thiazides, DCCBs were significantly associated with the development of severe albuminuria (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95