Hypercholesterolemia in renal transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted this study to evaluate the prevalence, and risk factors of hypercholesterolemia (HC) in renal transplant population. METHODS: We reviewed the records of the active renal transplant patients at two large transplant centers in Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia transplanted between 1979 and November 1998. The patients were grouped according to the measurement of serum cholesterol level; group I (normal): below or equal 5.2 mmol/L, group II (mild HC): from 5.3-6.0 mmol/L, group III (moderate HC): from 6.1-8.0 mmol/L group IV (severe HC): above 8.0 mmol/L. RESULTS: There were 1096 patients' records included in the study. According to the level of measured serum cholesterol, there were 421 (38.4%) patients is group I, 256 (23.3%) patients in group II, 363 (33.1%) patients in group III and 57 (5.2%) patients group IV. We found no significant difference between the study groups in terms of gender (60% males, 40% females), mean duration of transplantation (66.9 months), between those transplanted before 1990 and those transplanted after 1990, donor type, prevalence of hypertension (85%), history of hypertension on dialysis, original kidney disease, frequency of rejections in the first year (28%), mean serum creatinine (220 mumol/L), cyclosporine mean dose (3.2 mg/kg/day) mean prednisone dose (0.15 mg/kg/day), number of patients on azathioprine (65%), the mean proteinuria (0.6 G/L) or number of antihypertensives. In comparison with the group with normal serum cholesterol level, the group with severe hypercholesterolemia had significantly higher mean age (40.6 versus 37.4 years), higher mean weight (72 versus 65.8 kg), rate of retransplantation (8.8% versus 3.1%), higher frequency of diabetics (35% versus 20%) and higher frequency of abnormal electrocardiogram (18.2% versus 5.2%). CONCLUSION: That hypercholesterolemia is a significant problem in the renal transplant population in Saudi Arabia. Risk factors for the development of hypercholesterolemia are mainly related to weight, age, diabetes and retransplantation.

Diabetes and renal transplantation: saudi experience.

We conducted this study to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus (DM) in our renal transplant population. We retrospectively reviewed the records of the active renal transplant patients at two large transplant centers in Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, transplanted between 1979 and November 1998. The recipients were grouped according to the diagnosis of diabetes; group I: diabetes developed before transplantation (BTDM), group II: diabetes developed only after transplantation (ATDM) and group III: did not have diabetes (NDM). There were 1112 patients' records included in the study. The mean age was 38.2 years and the mean duration of transplantation was 66.9 months. There were 113(10.2%) patients in BTDM group, 134 (12.1%) patients in the ATDM group and 865 (77.8%) patients in the NDM group. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of hypertension among the study groups. In comparison to the other groups, the BTDM group had significantly more males (78.8%), more patients who were transplanted after 1990 (pre-cyclosporin era), more patients with grafts from living non-related donors (46%), higher incidence of acute rejection episodes (39%), higher mean serum creatinine and more patients treated with azathioprine (71%). The ATDM group had significantly higher mean age (46.4 years), higher mean duration of transplantation (91.5 months), higher rate of retransplantation (8.2%), higher mean serum cholesterol level (6.0mmol/L) and more frequently abnormal electrocardiogram (24.6%) than the other two groups. The ATDM group had comparable mean weight (70.2 kg) to the BTDM group but significantly higher than the NDM group (66.1kg). The NDM group had significantly higher mean dose of cyclosporine (3.3 mg/kg/day) and higher mean dose of prednisone (0.16 mg/kg/day) than the other groups. The only independent risk factor for developing DM after transplantation was advancing age. The currently used low-dose steroid therapy was not significantly associated with development of DM after renal transplantation. Nevertheless DM is an important co-morbid condition in the transplant population and is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.

Hypertension in renal transplantation: saudi arabian experience.

To evaluate the prevalence, etiologic factors and therapy of hypertension in actively followed up transplant population in Saudi Arabia; we retrospectively reviewed the records of the active renal transplant patients at two large transplant centers in Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. These subjects were transplanted between January 1979 and November 1998. The patients were grouped according to the measurement of blood pressure; group 1 (considered normo-tensive): blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg, group2: blood pressure between 140-159/90-99, group 3: blood pressure 160-179/100-109 group 4: equal to or above 180/110. There were 1115 patients' records included in the study. The mean duration of transplantation was 66.9 +/- 50.1 months. According to the level of measured blood pressure, there were 641 (57.5%) patients in the normotensive group (group 1), 404 (36.3%) patients in the mildly hypertensive group (group 2) 64 (5.7%) patients in the moderately severe hypertension group (group 3) and only six (0.5%) patients in the severe hypertension group (group 4). The estimated prevalence of hypertension in this study was almost 85%. We found no significant difference in the prevalence of hypertension in terms of gender, year of transplantation, duration of transplantation, type of donor, number of previous transplants, diagnosis of renal artery stenosis, etiology of kidney disease, diagnosis of diabetes after transplantation, diagnosis of cerebrovascular accidents, or mean dose of prednisolone and cyclosporine. There was a statistically significant association between increased level of blood pressure and old age (above 50 years), original disease associated with hypertension, history of hypertension on dialysis, acute rejection (once or more), presence of protienuria (more than 0.3 mg/day), abnormality of ECG, or serum creatinine above 300 micromol/L. We conclude that hypertension is highly prevalent in the renal transplant population in Saudi Arabia. Risk factors for the development of hypertension or its complication should be more aggressively approached in order to protect the patients and their grafts alike.