Abstract
Despite the improvement in short- and long-term kidney allograft survival in recent years, a significant number of grafts are lost because of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) or death secondary to cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is growing evidence that both hypertension and hyperlipidemia play important roles in the progression of CAN and CVD in kidney transplant recipients. Large, randomized, controlled studies to determine the optimal target levels for BP and serum lipids, as well as the choice of drug therapy, are lacking. However, based on the available data, we suggest that currently recommended target levels in non-transplant patients should also be used after transplantation. We believe that achieving these target levels for BP and serum lipids are of primary importance, and that the non-lipid-lowering effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors might exert additional benefits in prolonging graft survival.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hariharan S, Johnson CP, Bresnahan BA, et al. Improved graft survival after renal transplantation in the United States, 1988 to 1996. N Engl J Med 2000; 342(9): 605–12.
Kasiske BL, Gaston RS, Gourishankar S, et al. Long-term deterioration of kidney allograft function. Am J Transplant 2005 Jun; 5(6): 1405–14.
K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines for management of dyslipidemias in patients with kidney disease. Am J Kidney Dis 2004; 41(4 Suppl. 3): I–IV, S1–91.
National Kidney Foundation. K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines on hypertension and antihypertensive agents in chronic kidney disease. Am J Kidney Dis 2004; 43 Suppl. 1: S1–S290.
Karthikeyan V, Karpinski J, Nair RC, et al. The burden of chronic kidney disease in renal transplant recipients. Am J Transplant 2004; 4(2): 262–9.
Midtvedt K, Neumayer HH. Management strategies for post transplant hypertension. Transplantation 2000; 70(11 Suppl.): SS64–9.
Ligtenberg G, Hene RJ, Blankestijn PJ, et al. Cardiovascular risk factors in renal transplant patients: cyclosporin A versus tacrolimus. J Am Soc Nephrol 2001; 12(2): 368–73.
Budde K, Waiser J, Fritsche L, et al. Hypertension in patients after renal transplantation. Transplant Proc 1997; 29 (1–2): 209–211.
Perez Fontan M, Rodriguez-Carmona A, Garcia Falcon T, et al. Early immunologic and nonimmunologic predictors of arterial hypertension after renal transplantation. Am J Kidney Dis 1999; 33(1): 21–8.
Textor SC, Canzanello VJ, Taler SJ, et al. Cyclosporine-induced hypertension after transplantation. Mayo Clin Proc 1994 Dec; 69(12): 1182–93.
Schwenger V, Zeier M, Ritz E. Hypertension after renal transplantation. Curr Hypertens Rep 2001 Oct; 3(5): 434–9.
Klag MJ, Whelton PK, Randall BL, et al. Blood pressure and end-stage renal disease in men. N Engl J Med 1996; 334(1): 13–8.
Peterson JC, Adler S, Burkart JM, et al. Blood pressure control, proteinuria, and the progression of renal disease: the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study. Ann Intern Med 1995; 123(10): 754–62.
Cheigh JS, Haschemeyer RH, Wang JC, et al. Hypertension in kidney transplant recipients: effect on long-term renal allograft survival. Am J Hypertens 1989; 2 (5 Pt 1): 341–8.
Vianello A, Mastrosimone S, Calconi G, et al. The role of hypertension as a damaging factor for kidney grafts under cyclosporine therapy. Am J Kidney Dis 1993; 21 (5 Suppl. 2): 79–83.
Cosio FG, Dillon JJ, Falkenhain ME, et al. Racial differences in renal allograft survival: the role of systemic hypertension. Kidney Int 1995; 47(4): 1136–41.
Cosio FG, Falkenhain ME, Pesavento TE, et al. Relationships between arterial hypertension and renal allograft survival in African-American patients. Am J Kidney Dis 1997; 29(3): 419–27.
Frei U, Schindler R, Wieters D, et al. Pre-transplant hypertension: a major risk factor for chronic progressive renal allograft dysfunction? Nephrol Dial Transplant 1995; 10(7): 1206–11.
Opelz G, Wujciak T, Ritz E. Association of chronic kidney graft failure with recipient blood pressure: Collaborative Transplant Study. Kidney Int 1998; 53(1): 217–22.
Mange KC, Cizman B, Joffe M, et al. Arterial hypertension and renal allograft survival. JAMA 2000; 283(5): 633–8.
Ponticelli C, Montagnino G, Aroldi A, et al. Hypertension after renal transplantation. Am J Kidney Dis 1993; 21(5 Suppl. 2): 73–8.
Crook ED. Diabetic renal disease in African Americans. Am J Med Sci 2002 Feb; 323(2): 78–84.
Cosio FG, Pelletier RP, Sedmak DD, et al. Renal allograft survival following acute rejection correlates with blood pressure levels and histopathology. Kidney Int 1999; 56(5): 1912–9.
Cosio FG, Pelletier RP, Pesavento TE, et al. Elevated blood pressure predicts the risk of acute rejection in renal allograft recipients. Kidney Int 2001; 59(3): 1158–64.
Sanders CE, Curtis JJ. Role of hypertension in chronic renal allograft dysfunction. Kidney Int Suppl 1995; 52: S43–7.
Kasiske BL. Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease after renal transplantation. Transplantation 2001; 72(6 Suppl.): S5–8.
Kasiske BL, Chakkera HA, Roel J. Explained and unexplained ischemic heart disease risk after renal transplantation. J Am Soc Nephrol 2000; 11(9): 1735–43.
Weir MR. Blood pressure management in the kidney transplant recipient. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis 2004 Apr; 11(2): 172–83.
Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, et al. Seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Hypertension 2003; 42(6): 1206–52.
Lazarus JM, Bourgoignie JJ, Buckalew VM, et al. Achievement and safety of a low blood pressure goal in chronic renal disease: the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Group. Hypertension 1997; 29(2): 641–50.
Stigant CE, Cohen J, Vivera M, et al. ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II antagonists in renal transplantation: an analysis of safety and efficacy. Am J Kidney Dis 2000; 35(1): 58–63.
de Groen PC. Cyclosporine, low-density lipoprotein, and cholesterol. Mayo Clin Proc 1988; 63(10): 1012–21.
Kobashigawa JA, Kasiske BL. Hyperlipidemia in solid organ transplantation. Transplantation 1997; 63(3): 331–8.
Crook ED, Thallapureddy A, Migdal S, et al. Lipid abnormalities and renal disease: is dyslipidemia a predictor of progression of renal disease? Am J Med Sci 2003; 325(6): 340–8.
Wissing KM, Abramowicz D, Broeders N, et al. Hypercholesterolemia is associated with increased kidney graft loss caused by chronic rejection in male patients with previous acute rejection. Transplantation 2000; 70(3): 464–72.
Isoniemi H, Nurminen M, Tikkanen MJ, et al. Risk factors predicting chronic rejection of renal allografts. Transplantation 1994; 57(1): 68–72.
Vincenti F, Jensik SC, Filo RS, et al. A long-term comparison of tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine in kidney transplantation: evidence for improved allograft survival at five years. Transplantation 2002; 73(5): 775–82.
Del Castillo D, Cruzado JM, Manel Diaz J, et al. The effects of hyperlipidaemia on graft and patient outcome in renal transplantation. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2004; 19 Suppl. 3: 67–71.
Vollmer E, Bosse A, Bogeholz J, et al. Apolipoproteins and immunohistological differentiation of cells in the arterial wall of kidneys in transplant arteriopathy: morphological parallels with atherosclerosis. Pathol Res Pract 1991; 187(8): 957–62.
Katznelson S, Wilkinson AH, Kobashigawa JA, et al. The effect of pravastatin on acute rejection after kidney transplantation: a pilot study. Transplantation 1996; 61(10): 1469–74.
Kasiske BL, Heim-Duthoy KL, Singer GG, et al. The effects of lipid-lowering agents on acute renal allograft rejection. Transplantation 2001; 72(2): 223–7.
Holdaas H, Jardine AG, Wheeler DC, et al. Effect of fluvastatin on acute renal allograft rejection: a randomized multicenter trial. Kidney Int 2001; 60(5): 1990–7.
Shepherd J, Cobbe SM, Ford I, et al. Prevention of coronary heart disease with pravastatin in men with hypercholesterolemia: West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group. N Engl J Med 1995; 333(20): 1301–7.
Taylor DO, Thompson JA, Hastillo A, et al. Hyperlipidemia after clinical heart transplantation. J Heart Transplant 1989; 8(3): 209–20.
Sacks FM, Pfeffer MA, Moye LA, et al. The effect of pravastatin on coronary events after myocardial infarction in patients with average cholesterol levels: Cholesterol and Recurrent Events trial investigators. N Engl J Med 1996; 335(14): 1001–9.
Cutts JL, Scallen TJ, Watson J, et al. Role of mevalonic acid in the regulation of natural killer cell cytotoxicity. J Cell Physiol 1989; 139(3): 550–7.
Kwak B, Mulhaupt F, Myit S, et al. Statins as a newly recognized type of immunomodulator. Nat Med 2000; 6(12): 1399–402.
Weitz-Schmidt G, Welzenbach K, Brinkmann V, et al. Statins selectively inhibit leukocyte function antigen-1 by binding to a novel regulatory integrin site. Nat Med 2001; 7(6): 687–92.
Regazzi MB, Iacona I, Campana C, et al. Clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetics of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in heart transplant patients treated with cyclosporin A. Transplant Proc 1994; 26(5): 2644–5.
Akhlaghi F, Ashley J, Keogh A, et al. Cyclosporine plasma unbound fraction in heart and lung transplantation recipients. Ther Drug Monit 1999; 21(1): 8–16.
Holdaas H, Fellstrom B, Jardine AG, et al. Effect of fluvastatin on cardiac outcomes in renal transplant recipients: a multicentre, randomised, placebocontrolled trial. Lancet 2003; 361(9374): 2024–31.
Bianchi S, Bigazzi R, Caiazza A, et al. A controlled, prospective study of the effects of atorvastatin on proteinuria and progression of kidney disease. Am J Kidney Dis 2003; 41(3): 565–70.
Fellstrom B, Holdaas H, Jardine AG, et al. Effect of fluvastatin on renal end points in the Assessment of LEscol in Renal Transplant (ALERT) trial. Kidney Int 2004 Oct; 66(4): 1549–55.
Stojanovic I, Vrtovec B, Radovancevic B, et al. Survival, graft atherosclerosis, and rejection incidence in heart transplant recipients treated with statins: 5-year follow-up. J Heart Lung Transplant 2005 Sep; 24(9): 1235–8.
Bilchick KC, Henrikson CA, Skojec D, et al. Treatment of hyperlipidemia in cardiac transplant recipients. Am Heart J 2004 Aug; 148(2): 200–10.
Kobashigawa JA. Statins as immunosuppressive agents. Liver Transpl 2001; 7(6): 559–61.
Expert Panel on Detection Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA 2001 May 16; 285(19): 2486–97.
Acknowledgments
The first and second authors have contributed equally to this paper.
No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this review. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
El-Amm, JM., Haririan, A. & Crook, E.D. The Effects of Blood Pressure and Lipid Control on Kidney Allograft Outcome. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 6, 1–7 (2006). https://doi.org/10.2165/00129784-200606010-00001
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00129784-200606010-00001