Cardiovascular disease after renal transplantation.

Cardiovascular disease is a major hazard limiting the life expectancy of renal transplant recipients and the most frequent cause of late allograft loss. Patients with renal disease have usually been exposed for both traditional, and for them unique, risk factors over a prolonged period of time and may carry the burden of advanced atherosclerotic disease already at the time of transplantation. The observed survival benefit of transplantation is probably from elimination of the numerous uremia-related risk factors. However, immunosuppressive therapy and the chronic inflammatory state, together with genetic susceptibility and not infrequently impaired renal function, may bring about new potentially atherogenic conditions. Metabolic risk factors may jeopardize both patient and graft survival. Several observational studies provide evidence for the negative impact of preexisting metabolic abnormalities on long-term outcomes. Identification of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors may enable risk reduction also in renal transplant recipients. Results of ongoing intervention trials are awaited. The observed improvement of patient survival after renal transplantation during the past decade may reflect the increasing awareness and more optimal care of patients throughout the course of renal disease.