Lipid disorders in renal transplant recipients

Plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein and phospholipid levels were higher in 76 transplant recipients than in normal age-matched controls. 22 patients exhibited a normal lipid pattern; 12 a type IIa, 12 a type IIb, and 30 a type IV hyperlipidemia. Lipid abnormalities were not related to serum creatinine, parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum albumin, plasma glucose, transplant age, relative body weight or steroid administration schedule. Only plasma triglyceride level was related to mean prednisone dosage. In order to reduce the apparent cardiovascular risk posed by these changes in plasma lipid concentration, hypocaloric diet was administered to 16 patients with hypertriglyceridemia or mixed hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia. With these dietary measures, plasma lipid concentrations returned to normal and remained stable during the period of observation (6--18 months).