Organ Grinding

Black people infected with HIV are at much higher risk for kidney failure, also known as end-stage renal disease, than are HIV-positive whites. In fact, the risk seen with HIV infection in blacks is comparable to that observed with diabetes, a well-known cause of kidney disease.

"This finding highlights the importance of efforts to improve the management of kidney disease among black patients with HIV infection," says Andy I. Choi, MD, of San Francisco General Hospital.

While it is known that HIV infection can cause kidney disease, few studies have quantified the risk of kidney failure associated with HIV infection, Choi and colleagues note in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.