Abstract
Background: Data on the long-term mortality and morbidity of living kidney donors are scarce. In the general population, coronary artery calcification (CAC) and progression of CAC are predictors of future cardiac risk. We conducted a study to determine the progression of CAC in renal transplant donors. Methods: We used multidetector computed tomography to examine CAC in 75 former renal transplant donors. A baseline and a follow-up scan were performed and changes in CAC scores were evaluated in each subject individually to calculate the incidence of CAC progression. Results: Baseline CAC prevalence was 16% and the mean CAC score was 5.3 ± 25.8. At the follow-up scan that was performed after an average of 4.8 ± 0.3 years, CAC prevalence increased to 72% and the mean CAC score to 12.5 ± 23.4. Progression of the individual CAC score was found between 18.7 and 26.7%, depending on the method used to define progression. In patients with baseline CAC, the mean annualized rate of CAC progression was 2.1. Presence of hypertension, high systolic blood pressure and an increase in BMI were the determinants of CAC progression. Conclusions: The rate of CAC progression does not seem to be high in carefully selected donors.
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