Effect of Kidney Transplant on Balance and Fall Risk

Kidney transplant offers an improved quality of life and prolonged survival for patients with end-stage renal disease. This study aimed to compare balance and fall risk between kidney transplant recipients and healthy adults and to determine the relationship between biochemical parameters and fall risk and balance in kidney transplant recipients. As far as we know, this is the first study in the literature that evaluated whether balance changes occur in kidney transplant recipients using the Tetrax Interactive Balance System (Sunlight Medical Ltd., Ramat Gan, Israel).

Our study included 131 kidney transplant recipients (80 male/53 female; mean age of 39 ± 12 y) and 158 healthy volunteers (86 male/69 female; mean age of 40 ± 15 y). Groups were statistically matched in age, male/female patients, and body mass index. Fall index percentages were calculated using the Tetrax posturography device. Risk of falling was compared between kidney transplant recipients and healthy participants. Kidney transplant recipients were divided into 3 groups based on risk of falling. Demographic and clinical characteristics of kidney transplant recipients were recorded, and statistical analyses were performed to analyze these parameters versus balance measurements.

Risk of falling was not significantly different between groups according to Tetrax measurements (32.4 ± 23.4 vs 31.6 ± 21.7; P = .08). Serum creatinine levels were significantly higher in kidney transplant recipients with a higher risk of falling (1.17 ± 0.37 vs 1.63 ± 1.18 mg/dL; P = .01). The use of oral antidiabetic drugs was shown to increase the risk of falling (P = .02).

Although patients with end-stage renal disease are thought to have balance impairments, kidney transplant recipients in our study had balance control similar to that shown in the healthy population. Graft function in kidney transplant recipients is important for the balance system.