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Immunosuppression in Older Renal Transplant Patients

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Abstract

Renal transplantation procedures in patients older than 60 years of age have clearly improved in recent years. In the cyclosporin era, graft and patient survival are good. However, older patients exhibit a higher mortality, especially from infectious and cardiovascular causes, than young patients. In this article we review the immunosuppressive treatment in older patients, analyse what drugs can be used and finally propose several immunosuppressive combinations to treat this group of patients. Currently, new immunosuppressive drugs enable more flexible immunosuppressive protocols. Nevertheless, to avoid overimmunosuppression, elderly patients should be treated with lower doses and fewer immunosuppressive drugs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Renal Transplant Unit, Nephrology Department, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Carretera de Andalucía km 5.400, 28041, Madrid, Spain

    Jose M. Morales, Amado Andrés & Juan C. Herrero

  2. Renal Transplant Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain

    Josep M. Campistol

Authors
  1. Jose M. Morales
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  2. Josep M. Campistol
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  3. Amado Andrés
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  4. Juan C. Herrero
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Correspondence to Jose M. Morales.

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Morales, J.M., Campistol, J.M., Andrés, A. et al. Immunosuppression in Older Renal Transplant Patients. Drugs & Aging 16, 279–287 (2000). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-200016040-00004

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