The impact of race on metabolic, graft, and patient outcomes after pancreas transplantation.

Background: Racial disparities following pancreas transplantation (PTX) are poorly defined.

Methods: This was a large-scale, single-center, longitudinal cohort study including adult PTX recipients. Patients were grouped by race to allow for comparisons.

Results: 287 PTX recipients were included; 125 (43.5%) were African American (AA). At baseline, AAs had a significantly higher proportion of T2DM (19.4% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.001), were younger, and more likely to be female. AAs experienced significantly higher rates of pancreatic leaks and post-operative bleeding. PTX rejection was comparable, however, kidney rejection tended to be higher among AA SPKs. Long-term mean HgbA1C levels were significantly higher among AAs (6.9% vs. 6.3%, p = 0.039). Patient and graft survival was comparable between groups, but early patient survival tended to be lower in AAs.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated significant perioperative health disparities among AA PTX recipients, including poorer glycemic control and more early deaths, despite similar long-term patient and graft survival.