Risperidone may be easy on kidneys

Risperidone use among patients with schizophrenia appears to confer some protection against the risk of kidney function decline, as reported in a study.

Researchers reviewed the medical records of 1,680 patients (mean age 55 years, 45 percent men) with schizophrenia and underwent two or more serum creatinine measurements. Of these patients, 212 used risperidone (treatment group) and 1,468 had no record of risperidone use (control group).

Overall, the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 88 mL/min/1.73 m². Patients in the risperidone group tended to be younger than those in the control group (52 vs 56 years). Other baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups.

Over a mean follow-up of 1.6 years, kidney function decline (defined as a 40-percent decline in eGFR) occurred in 267 patients (16 percent). Of note, the incidence rate of kidney function decline was lower in the risperidone group than in the control group (60 vs 104 per 1,000 person-years).

Cox regression models adjusted for potential confounders (baseline age, sex, and eGFR) showed that risperidone use had a protective effect on the risk of kidney function decline (hazard ratio, 0.54, 95 percent confidence interval, 0.33–0.87; p=0.01).

More studies are needed to confirm the findings.