Risk factors associated with cardiovascular events in kidney transplant patients

Objective: To describe the behaviour of the cardiovascular risk factors in kidney transplant patients, and its relationship with the outcomes at 1 and 5 years after the transplant. Methods: A retrospective analytical cohort study was performed on patients with kidney transplant from the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio with a follow-up of at least 1 year. An analysis was carried out on the demographic variables, cardiovascular risk factors, and the cardiovascular outcomes at 1 and 5 years. Results: The study included 166 patients with a follow-up of 1 year, and 79 with a follow-up of 5 years post-kidney transplant. In the first year post-transplant there was a significant reduction in smoking, as well as in blood pressure, with no changes in the control of dyslipidaemia or in diabetes mellitus. There were 9 events in the first year, with 6 cases of unstable angina, 2 myocardial infarctions, and one stroke. In the evaluation at the fifth year the quitting smoking was maintained, with an increase in arterial hypertension. There were 8 cases of unstable angina, corresponding to 10% of the cardiovascular events. Conclusions: A low rate of cardiovascular events was identified in the one year and five year follow-up of post-kidney transplant patients from the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, with a change in the prevalence of some of cardiovascular risk factors.