Kidney function, albuminuria and cardiovascular risk factors in post-operative living kidney donors: a single-center, cross-sectional study

Background Mortality and renal or cardiovascular prognosis in living kidney donors (LKDs) has been reported to be as same as the general population; however, it is known that the prevalence of hypertension, albuminuria and metabolic syndrome increases after donation. At present, data from Japanese donors are scarce and as a result the actual medical status of LKDs remains unclear. To evaluate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Japanese LKDs, we conducted a cross-sectional study on LKDs at our tertiary care hospital and clinic. Method Thirty-six out of 63 LKDs who underwent kidney donation at the kidney disease center of the St. Marianna University Hospital were enrolled. The kidney function, albuminuria, and CVD risk factors including hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, glucose intolerance (GI) and obesity were cross-sectionally investigated. Results The kidney function by inulin clearance was 55.2 +/- A 10.3 ml/min/1.73 m(2) on average, indicating that 63.9% of LKDs were categorized into chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 after donation. Albuminuria developed in 16.7%. Blood pressure (BP) was not elevated after donation, but ambulatory BP monitoring revealed that 39.4% of LKDs were categorized as having non-dipper type BP. GI was shown in 25% of LKDs. Prevalence of dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia were 41.7% and 27.8%, respectively. Body mass index was not significantly changed after donation. Seven LKDs (19.4%) were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Conclusion Many Japanese LKDs were experiencing decreased kidney function corresponding to CKD stage 3. They also had a significant but not lower prevalence of albuminuria and CVD risk compared to the general Japanese population. LKDs should be followed closely with special attention to the management of renal and CVD risk factors.