The following article is part of conference coverage from Kidney Week 2018 in San Diego hosted by the American Society of Nephrology. Renal & Urology News staff will be reporting live on medical studies conducted by nephrologists and other specialists who are tops in their field in acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, dialysis, transplantation, and more. Check back for the latest news from Kidney Week 2018.

SAN DIEGO—Substantial weight loss prior to deceased-donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) may be associated with an increased risk of death after transplantation, investigators reported at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2018.

In a study of 96,938 individuals who underwent DDKT, a team led by Meera Nair Harhay, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, those who lost 10% or more of their listing body weight before DDKT had a significant 16% increased risk of death following transplantation compared with kidney recipients who were within 5% of their listing weights at the time of transplantation. Pre-DDKT weight gain was not independently associated with post-transplantation mortality.

“The practice of encouraging weight loss for kidney transplant candidacy should be considered with respect to the trade-offs of potentially higher post-transplant health risks,” Dr Harhay told Renal & Urology News. “Our study suggests the need to closely monitor kidney transplant recipients who have lost substantial body weight pre-transplant, including those who were overweight or obese.”

Continue Reading

Obese individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) often are advised to lose weight to improve their transplant candidacy, but the safety of weight loss in ESRD and implications for post-transplant survival are not well understood, Dr Harhay stated.

Visit Renal & Urology News’ conference section for continuous coverage from Kidney Week 2018.

Related Articles Girls With ESRD More Likely to Die

Kidney Transplant Recipients Often Hospitalized With Acute MI

Transplanting Diabetic Kidneys Better Than Remaining on Waitlist

High Phosphorus Ups Risk of Kidney Transplant Failure, Death

Diabetes Increases Post-Transplant Mortality Risk



Reference

Harhay MN, Boyle S, Ranganna KM, McAdams-DeMarco M. Association of pre-transplant weight loss with mortality after deceased donor kidney transplantation. Data presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2018 conference in San Diego, Oct. 23-28. Abstract TH-OR123.