Journal Top Ten, Columns-Drugs & Supplements, March 2005

ARTICLE: "Assessing the relative risk of cardiovascular disease among renal transplant patients receiving tacrolimus or cyclosporine"

SUMMARY: Calcineurin inhibitors potentially contribute to risk of cardiovascular events through the development of new-onset diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The exact extent to which calcineurin inhibitors affect these risk factors is difficult to establish since pre-existing renal disease and concomitant immunosuppressive agents (such as steroids or TOR inhibitors) also exert an effect. Clinical trials have consistently shown a higher incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus with tacrolimus, which has been borne out in large-scale …