Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function Before and After Renal Transplantation: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: End-stage renal disease is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Kidney transplantation (KT) may lead to reversal of these cardiac changes.

Methods: Echocardiographic changes in cardiac structure and function were recorded in 30 patients with end-stage renal disease before KT, and 3 months and 6 months after KT. Patients with ischemic heart disease and valvular heart disease were not included.

Results: Thirty patients with a mean age of 34±12 years were studied, and 28 (93%) were male. Mean duration of hemodialysis (none on peritoneal dialysis) was 9.18±8.39 months. There was significant improvement in echocardiographic parameter of cardiac morphology and the cardiac systolic and diastolic functions after KT.

Conclusions: This longitudinal prospective study found significant regression of left ventricular hypertrophy within 6 months after renal transplant. There was also an improvement in ventricular functions on echocardiography. The improvement in hemoglobin shows linear correlation with reduction in left ventricular dimension and improvement in left ventricular functions.