Metabolic syndrome and new onset diabetes after kidney transplantation

The metabolic syndrome developed after kidney transplantation is the result of several factors which are identical with the risk factors in normal population, however, also some factors typical for the transplanted patients-especially the effects of immunosuppressive therapy.

In the groupof 268 patients after kidney transplantation, which had no type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus before transplantation, we identified patients with metabolic syndrome(based on IDF criteria), 12 months from the kidney transplantation. In all patients, we recorded the following parameters: age at the time of transplantation, type of immunosuppression, waist measure, the value of triacylglycerols, the value of HDL cholesterol, presence of arterial hypertension, andthe value of glycaemia in fasting state (or presence of diabetes mellitus). The groupof patients was divided into the control group and the group of patients with metabolic syndrome.

The average age of patients was 46.1±11.6years. The control group included 149 patients (55.6%),and we identified the metabolicsyndromein 119patients (44.4%). The patients with metabolicsyndrome were significantly older (P<0.0001), had significantly larger waist (both the entiregroup and the males andfemales) P<0.0001.The femaleswith metabolic syndrome had significantly lower value of HDL-cholesterol (P=0.0013), and significantly higher number of patients with metabolic syndrome had hyperglycaemia in fasting state or diabetes mellitus (P=0.0006).

By controlling the weight and waist, we may identify the risk patients for development of metabolic syndrome after kidney transplantation.