Structural and functional changes in the left ventricle in kidney transplant recipients

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease often exhibit adverse alterations in the geometry of their left ventricle, which may be ameliorated following renal transplantation. The objective of this study was to examine the structural and functional alternations in the heart using echocardiography in patients with end-stage chronic renal failure who undergone kidney transplantation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted, concluding a sample of 47 patients who had undergone kidney transplantation at Cho Ray Hospital, Vietnam between 2013 and 2017. All the participants underwent echocardiography at baseline and one year following the transplantation procedure.

RESULTS: Forty-seven patients had the mean age of 36.8 ± 9.0 years old, that 66.0% were men and the median duration of dialysis was 12 months at the time just before kidney transplantation. The blood pressure of population study decreased significantly during the follow-up period after undergoing transplantation. A comparison of echocardiographic findings before and one year after kidney transplantation revealed significant differences in all parameters. In particular, the left ventricular mass index showed a marked decline after one-year post-transplantation when compared to pre-transplant levels.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study revealed that kidney transplantation has a beneficial impact on the cardiovascular status of patients suffering from end-stage renal disease, leading to improvements in both structural and functional echocardiographic features.

 

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