The aim of the present study was to assess the role of cardiovascular risk factors in the occurrence of cardiovascular events among 100 consecutive renal transplant recipients during the first 2 years after
transplantation. The following parameters were analyzed: (1) demographic data (gender, age, dialysis duration, preexistent diabetes, and pretransplantation events) as well
as (2) basal 1-year, and 2-year posttransplantation data for events, body mass index, arterial
hypertension, number of drugs for
hypertension control, use of ACE or ARA II inhibitors, treatment with
lipid- lowering drugs, de novo diabetes,
anemia, immunosuppression with
cyclosporine versus
tacrolimus, and
homocysteine,
folic acid, serum
creatinine,
uric acid, PTH-i, and
cholesterol total,
high-density lipoprotein (
HDL)-cholesterol,
low-density lipoprotein (
LDL)-cholesterol, and
triglyceride levels. At the end of the second posttransplantation year, 14 patients versus 86 who did not experience a new cardiovascular event. Patients in the event group had more events pretransplantation and during the first posttransplantation year than those in the non event group (57.1% vs 17.4%; P = .003 and 78.6% vs 2.3%; P = .000, respectively). Furthermore, the former cohort of patients were older, had greater ventricular
hypertrophy and had higher
triglyceride and serum
creatinine concentrations during the 2 years after
transplantation. A multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed the relationship between events within 1 year of
transplantation and serum
creatinine level at the end of 2 years as well as the development of
cardiovascular disease within 2 years. In conclusion, our data suggest the need for aggressive intervention during the first year to prevent the development of new cardiovascular events. Renoprotective strategies may also contribute to reduce the cardiovascular risk of renal transplant recipients.