Posttransplant body mass index (BMI) increase in kidney transplant recipients is an underestimated issue, predisposing to morbidity linked with development of polymetabolic syndrome.
Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of overweight and obesity among endstage renal disease patients before and after kidney transplantation.
Material: Four hundred eighteen kidney graft recipients were enrolled in the study which lasted a mean of 56 months. Inhabitants of Lower Silesia (n = 3855) were used as controls. Overweight was defined as BMI between 25 and 30 kg/m(2) and obesity as >30 kg/m(2).
Methods: Mean BMI calculated in 418 patients, both pretransplant and after a 4.5-year observation period was compared with results of the Lower Silesian population.
Results: Mean pretransplant BMI in men (n = 242) and women (n = 189) was lower than in controls: men pretransplant BMI 24.3 kg/m(2) versus 25.7 kg/m(2) in the normal population; women, pretransplant BMI 23.17 kg/m(2) versus 25.2 kg/m(2) in the control group respectively. Mean total pretransplant BMI values increased from 23.82 to 25.9 kg/m(2) at last checkup ("last BMI"). A lesser posttransplant BMI increase was noted in men (7%) compared with women (9.6%). Before transplant, overweight or obesity occurred in 38% (n = 157), after a 4.5-year observation period, 65% (n = 232).
Conclusions: Our observations documented that obesity is a widespread issue in kidney graft recipients, affecting two thirds of the population. It should be the target of preventive measures and nonpharmacologic therapeutic interventions.