Evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors, prevalence and determinants of coronary artery disease in renal transplant patients: a single center experience

Abstract

Aims: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant patients. In our study, we aimed to determine the cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, the prevalence and determinants of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients who underwent kidney transplantation in our center.
 Methods: One hundred sixty nine patients who underwent kidney transplantation in our center were included in the study retrospectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, cardiac evaluation findings and further examination results were scanned from the database of our center.
 Results: The mean age of the patients was 42.86±12.97 years and 43.19% were female. The most common etiological factors for the development of end-stage renal disease were hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Ninety seven patients (57.4%) were undergoing dialysis, 4 of whom were on peritoneal dialysis. Renal transplant was performed from a cadaver in two patients and from a living donor in the other patients. CAD was detected in 29 patients (17.15%). The most prevalent CV risk factors were HT and hyperlipidemia (HL). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, DM, HL and dialysis history were independent risk factors for the development of CAD. In the postoperative follow-ups, no death or acute coronary syndrome was observed during the hospitalization period.
 Conclusion: Prevalence of CV risk factors is high in renal transplant candidates. Our findings support the need for a detailed cardiac evaluation and effective management of CV risk factors in patients preparing for kidney transplantation.