Health-related quality of life may improve after transplantation in pancreas-kidney recipients.

Clin Transplant

Nephrology Department, Hospital Santo António, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Transplantation Department, Hospital Santo António, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University Hospital de Santo António, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Published: March 2015

Pancreas-kidney transplantation (PKT) may significantly improve quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with type 1 diabetes. We have assessed the changes felt by PKT patients, using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) and EuroQol-5D questionnaires. Patients were asked to compare how their HRQOL had changed from pre-transplantation to the last visit. The 60 men and 66 women enrolled had a mean follow-up of five yr; 84.1% with both grafts, 15.9% with one graft functioning. In all domains of EuroQol-5D scores improved after PKT, as well as the visual analogue scale health state (from 38% to 84%, p < 0.001; effect size 3.34). In GIQLI, physical function was felt better after PKT than before (14.83 ± 3.86 vs. 7.86 ± 4.43, p < 0.001; effect size 1.68); the same was observed for psychological status, social function, and GI complaints. Concerning the burden of medical treatment, the score significantly improved (from 1.31 to 3.63, p < 0.001, effect size 2.02). The rate of unemployed patients decreased after PKT (from 50.8% to 36.5%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that having only one functioning graft was associated with worse HRQOL scores (B = -5.157, p = 0.015). In conclusion, for all assessed domains, patients reported a significant improvement in HRQOL after PKT. Maintenance of the two grafts functioning predicted higher improvement of HRQOL scores.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ctr.12511DOI Listing

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