Renal transplantation delays major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with end-stage renal disease: A nationwide population-based study

Abstract

BackgroundWhether renal transplantation (RT) influences the risk of cardiovascular events remains controversial. MethodsThis nationwide population-based study investigated the risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and stroke after RT in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), using data obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. A total of 164 ESRD patients who underwent RT formed the study cohort, and an age- and sex-matched control group comprised 164 patients without RT selected from 6976 ESRD patients. All patients were enrolled between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. Those who developed MACEs and/or stroke during the study period were identified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. A Kaplan–Meier MACEs-free curve was used to compare MACEs episodes between the study and control groups. ResultsThe mean age was similar between RT and non-RT patients, with most between 30 and 50 years old. In this age range, MACEs developed in 47.5% of the RT group and in 52.5% of the non-RT group (p = 0.0882). The survival rate among all ESRD patients was significant higher in the RT group than in non-RT group (p < 0.001). The MACEs-free, stroke-free and MACEs-or-stroke-free rates were significantly higher in the RT group than in the non-RT group (p = 0.0134, 0.035 and 0.005, respectively) as demonstrated by Kaplan–Meier curves. ConclusionRT seemed not to reduce the risk of MACEs directly, but it could have dramatically delayed MACEs and stroke episodes in the ESRD patients. Furthermore, a lower mortality rate was observed in the ESRD patients who received RT than in those undergoing chronic dialysis. Further in-depth investigation is necessary to identify other protective factors against MACEs or stroke in ESRD.