Interdisciplinary problem of post-transplant diabetes mellitus: literature review

Abstract

The number of transplantation and transplant survival rates increase steadily. Patients after solid organ transplantation re-ceive lifelong immunosuppressive therapy which may have adverse effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The most diabetogenic drugs are calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids. Posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is hyperglycemia that meets American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization diabetes criteria for nontransplant patients and that was newly diagnosed after transplantation. PTDM may worsen both short-term and long-term transplantation outcomes so that the problem of timely diagnosis, proper treatment and prevention is critical. In early post-transplant period, transient hyperglycemia is found in the vast majority of patients; therefore, PTDM screening is carried out at least one month after transplantation. The gold standard test for PTDM diagnosis is oral glucose tolerance test. In the same time diagnostic value of hemoglobin A1C is limited. Lifestyle therapy and antidiabetic drugs are considered as possible preventive measures. Stress induced hyperglycemia management in solid organ recipients is the same with other surgical patients. Which organ was transplanted, patient characteristics and possible drug interactions with immunosuppressive therapy should be taken into account while managing PTDM. Blood pressure and lipid profile should be under control for comprehensive cardiovascu-lar risk reduction. It remains unclear which PTDM treatment and prevention strategy is the best and for better understanding interdisciplinary approach is needed.