Morbidity of patients with analgesic-associated nephropathy and end-stage renal failure.

In our haemodialysis centre patients (n = 144), we compared 48 aspects of morbidity in patients with analgesic-associated nephropathy (AAN) and patients with other kidney diseases to determine the presence of characteristic diagnostic features of AAN in addition to a history of habitual analgesic intake. The comparison between 48 AAN patients and the control patients revealed statistically significant differences (p less than 0.05) with regard to myocardial infarction (25% vs 7%), angina pectoris (63% vs 32%), atrial fibrillation (21% vs 4%), arteriosclerosis obliterans of the lower extremity (52% vs 33%), anaemia (mean haemoglobin, 8.38 vs 9.16 g/dl), renal osteodystrophy (67% vs 41%), carpal tunnel syndrome (23% vs 7%), peptic ulcers and erosive gastritis (54% vs 23%), colonic diverticula (15% vs 4%), and haemorrhoids (67% vs 28%). AAN patients therefore have significantly higher morbidity with a characteristic pattern than do patients with other renal diseases.