Adiposity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in renal transplant recipients: Are there differences between sexes?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate high body adiposity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors prevalence, in renal transplant recipients (RTR), comparing men with women.
METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 102 patients (55 men) who were 49 ± 1.2 y and 114.3 ± 9 mo post-transplant (post-tx) were evaluated. Pretransplant (pre-tx) period data and weight gain during the first year post-tx were obtained from patient charts and post-tx data were collected during a routine visit at nephrology clinic. Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m(2) defined overweight and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2) defined obesity.
RESULTS: Pre-tx overweight prevalence was low and similar between men and women (26%), whereas only women showed obesity (11%). Post-tx body weight increased significantly in the entire group, leading to an increase in overweight (to 38% in men and 51% in women) and obesity (to 11% in men and 23% in women) prevalence. Post-tx comparisons between men and women showed that women had higher (women versus men; P < 0.05) BMI values (26.7 ± 0.8 versus 24.7 ± 0.5 kg/m(2)), weight gain during first year post-tx (9.2 ± 1.1 versus 5.5 ± 1 kg), abdominal obesity (57% versus 23%) and diabetes (34% versus 16%) prevalence. The associations between adiposity and CVD risk factors showed that pre-tx overweight increased the risk for diabetes in post-tx; pos-tx high BMI and abdominal obesity increased the risk for metabolic syndrome; abdominal obesity increased the risk for dyslipidemia in women.
CONCLUSIONS: High body adiposity prevalence was high after transplantation and increased the risk for metabolic syndrome, an important CVD risk factor. Women showed higher total body adiposity values, abdominal obesity, and diabetes prevalence than men. Abdominal obesity increased the risk for dyslipidemia in women.