Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus

To determine the prevalence of post-kidney transplantation diabetes (PTDM) and to assess its risk factors, we retrospectively studied 92 non-diabetic kidney transplant patients. The immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent rejection included prednisone, a calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporine or tacrolimus) and an antimetabolite (azathioprine or mycofenolate mofetil). Diabetes was defined according to the WHO criteria and the American Diabetes Association. The mean age of our patients was 35.8 ± 10.5 years, and there was a clear male predominance (56 men and 36 women). The graft was from living related donor in 71/92 (76%) patients. The prevalence of diabetes in post-kidney transplant was 15.2%. The factors increasing the occurrence of PTDM included advanced age, high doses of steroids and cyclosporine. Management of PTDM included diet modification, oral anti-diabetic and insulin. We conclude that the prevalence of PTDM is significant in our transplant population and risk factors for its development are multiple and require aggressive multifaceted management.