A pilot study on the relation between dietary calcium and clinical parameters in renal transplant recipients

This aim of this study was to evaluate the association between dietary calcium and variables that include body mass index, abdominal obesity, metabolic profile, and blood pressure levels in renal transplant patients.

A cross-sectional study was conducted.

Eligible patients were recruited from renal transplant outpatient clinics at Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A total of 40 men and 34 women aged >18 years who had received kidney transplants in the past ≥12 months were included in this study.

All patients underwent clinical, dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical evaluation.

Participants were classified into the following 2 groups on the basis of their mean dietary calcium intake: group A (<600 mg/day) and group B (≥600 mg/day). Patients in group B presented significantly lower levels of waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as compared with those in group A (P = .04 and P = .005, respectively), after adjusting for confounding variables such as energy intake, gender, age, physical activity, time since transplantation, and prednisone dose. After controlling for potential confounders, including energy intake and physical activity, subjects in group B had a lower odds ratio for prevalent abdominal obesity as compared with those in group A (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.94; P = .04). Body mass index was significantly lower in patients with higher calcium intake; however, this difference did not reach statistical significance after adjustments for confounding factors. Metabolic profile and blood pressure levels were similar in both groups.

The findings of the present study suggest that a higher dietary calcium intake may be associated with lower abdominal adiposity in renal transplant patients.