Endocrine Abstracts

Obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in recipients increase after kidney transplantation due to immunosuppressive drugs, non-traditional risk factors related to immunosuppressive drugs or chronic kidney disease (CKD). Inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness (AS) and vascular calcification are common complications contributed to the development of CVD in patients with CKD. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between AS and obesity in transplant recipients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted in consecutive 62 patients who underwent kidney transplantation. Our cohort excluded patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure. The patients were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI, kg/m²): normal weight (<25, n=28, 8 males), overweight (25-29.9, n=23, 16 males) and obese (≧30, n=11, 5 males). Laboratory tests, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), left ventricle mass index (LVMI), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and AS (large vessel elasticity index-C1, small vessel elasticity index-C2) were measured.

Results: Median dialysis duration and follow-up time after transplant were 33 and 20 months, respectively. The mean age of overweight group was higher than that of normal weight group (P<0.026). Donor age, blood pressures, dialysis and transplant durations, hypertensive and diabetic patient ratios, serum creatinine, uric acid, glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride and urinary albumin excretion levels in the groups were comparable. Being smoker (27.3%, P=0.020) and family obesity history (63.6%, P=0.002) in obese group was higher than other groups. The CKD-EPI glomerular filtration rate in normal weight group (66.7±17.7 ml/min) was higher than those of overweight (54.3±19.7 ml/min, P=0.017) and obese (61.2±19.5 ml/min, P=0.047) groups. The LVMI and hsCRP level in obese group was higher than that of normal weight (140±28 vs. 117±31 g/m², P=0.003 and 3.46±6.2 vs. 11.9±14.2 mg/l, P=0.037, respectively). There was no significant difference in proteinuria, anemia, LVH and valvular calcification ratios, C1 and C2 measurements between three groups.

Conclusion: We found that LVMI and hsCRP were higher in obese recipients, but not non-traditional risk factors such as anemia, proteinuria and AS.